Excellence

Dominican Republic

Washed Barahona Peaberry (30 bags)

Region: Sierra De Bahoruco (Barahona)

Municipality: Pedernales

Cultivation: Shadow

Altitude: 900 - 1200 m

Soil type: Clay loam. Order: Inceptisols

Harvest: November - March

Processing: Washed - 16h fermentation

Drying: sun-dried

The harvesting season runs from November through March. After a meticulous selection, the cherries are depulped; the beans, still encased in parchment, are then washed in tanks full of water and rinsed under running water. After washing, the beans are sun-dried. PEABERRIES are small, round coffee beans formed when a cherry develops a single seed instead of the usual two flattened beans. They are prized for their more complex, rounded flavour.

Espresso

Intense, full body, with a soft, medium acidity. Notes of dark chocolate, walnut and caramelised almond come through clearly, rounded off with a touch of cigar tobacco. The aftertaste is clean and lingering, with a subtle hint of spice.

Washed Process

The harvested coffee cherries are first selected, either mechanically or in water tanks, to remove unripe cherries and other foreign matter. They are then processed with depulpers to remove the skin (exocarp) and pulp (outer mesocarp).

With a portion of the mucilage (inner mesocarp) left on the parchment (endocarp), the coffee beans are fermented in water tanks for around 14 to 36 hours. During this time, the microorganisms in the beans help break down the mucilage with their enzymes.

The beans are then washed with fresh water and laid to dry on either cement patios or raised beds, or in some cases placed in mechanical dryers. They are turned regularly to avoid unwanted mold and further fermentation, and when the beans reach around 11% humidity they are stored in parchment (endocarp), before being milled and bagged.