Edwin Noreña Inoculated Carbonic Honey Geisha

An inoculated carbonic-honey Geisha from Edwin Noreña's Finca Campo Hermoso in Colombia. Three staged fermentations build an extremely unique and complex flavor profile, which includes savory notes of fresh basil and rosemary overlayed with citrus. Reminds us of the Mediterranean.

Process

Edwin Noreña — an agroindustrial engineer with graduate training in biotechnology — ferments a fruit must inoculated with brewer's yeast, then blends it into whole Geisha cherries during carbonic maceration in sealed tanks. In carbonic maceration, the oxygen is pushed out through a one-way valve so the whole cherries sit surrounded by their own carbon dioxide — an anaerobic environment that concentrates aromatic, fruit-forward compounds. The process runs in stages: a 24-hour low-oxygen pre-ferment softens the fruit, a fully oxygen-deprived carbonic stage generates the sugary "must," and a final 72-hour ferment reintroduces that yeast-inoculated must to the cherries. The beans are then lightly depulped — left honey-style with most of their mucilage intact — and dried on raised screen beds for about ten days.

In the cup

Acidity

Medium, balanced

Sweetness

Savory

Body

Silky, delicate

Brewing

Dialing in the perfect cup is part of the fun. Here's where we recommend starting for this one:

Best Rested

28+ days

Method

Filter, Espresso

Water Temp

85–90°C (185–194°F)

Ratio

1:17

Grind

Coarse