This lot starts with cherries picked at peak ripeness, then floated to clear out any overripe fruit and debris. The cherries rest for about 24 hours of oxidation under ambient conditions — a step that nudges up the temperature of the coffee mass, evens out ripening, and sets up a more uniform fermentation.
The character here comes from a watermelon co-ferment. A culture of native microorganisms is activated, combined with watermelon, and left to develop sweet, fruity aromas over 48 hours in a closed environment. That pre-ferment is then folded into the pulped coffee and fermented a further 48 hours in sealed containers, letting the microbial compounds and watermelon-derived notes work their way into the bean. It finishes with a gentle wash and slow drying in solar houses over roughly 12 days.
