Page 46 - #46 English

Culture

The Burundi Dry process is like a hybrid between texture with complexity and acidity towards the end with
honey and a washed process. I started with 24 hours dry some notes of watermelon and sweet tobacco, very clean
fermentation and after the coffee beans were de-pulped by and well rounded, this was the one of the methods that I
a manual de-pulper, the same was done for Ethiopia washed had used, Burundi dry process. It was one of my favorite
process, the beans with mucilage were placed to dry in of all the coffee’s I tasted on that table.
the tank for 24 hours without water, washing them every The other one that had an incredible amount of citric
12 hours thoroughly. After the first step of fermentation acidity, with a lower level of sweetness and lacked most of
was done, the beans were placed for another 24 hours of the flavors was the Ethiopia washed process. The reason
under water fermentation without being washed. At the that the coffee lacked flavour can probably be explained
end, I washed the beans with clean water and then moved in the original process that I started with. The initial goal
them to a mechanical dryer until the proper moisture level was to have 24 hours of under-water fermentation, but I
was achieved. The first drying phase of 24 hours does not accidentally left it to ferment for 48 hours of under water
entirely remove the mucilage layer from the parchment, fermentation. The Ethiopian washed process was used in
only in the last underwater fermentation step is when the order to give high level of acidity, which in the end was
mucilage completely removed. The first fermentation step accomplished, but sweetness was jeopardized.
was to allow the beans to absorb as much as sweetness pos- I was really happy with my achievements and all
sible and to allow them to build a certain level of acidity. the hard work that went into using ripe cherries to bring
something unique and different from the
coffee’s of Hacienda Pomarrosa. The more
inherent sweetness a coffee exhibits, the
better, and that’s what the Burundi Dry
process of my experiment did in an out-
standing way. My projection to Hacienda
Pomarrossa is to continue with the Burundi
Dry process along with the honey process
and try to revise the Ethiopia washed
process to add some favorable dimen-
sions to it. It was the first step forwards
to improve the quality, and highlight the
unique terroir of the given soil content,
and climatic condition of Puerto Rican
coffee, to make something valuable and
unique from the regular boring taste that
most people associated Puerto Rican coffee
with. When I was told that lower elevation
does not bring acidity, and that acidity only
increases at higher altitude, it just proved
to me that nothing is impossible, and yes,
you can achieve great acidity and pleasant
To check the results of the above I decided to conduct sweetness and transform a one dimensional cup to a multi-
cupping, Several Q graders and others, including myself dimensional bouquet of incredible flavors hidden within
and the manager of Hacienda Pomarrosa, gathered together the soil of Isla del Encanto, even at lower elevation.
to cup 11 different coffee’s, including the ones that went
through the experiments that I conducted at Pomarrosa. The
first round had some robusta which was easily recognizable
by the shape of the beans, which are very small. It differ-
entiates itself from others, not so much by bitterness like “ My name is Mikhail Sebastian. I am barista, edu-
others believe, but by a distinct unpleasant characteristic cator and technical judge during Barista Competition. My
which ranged from metallic to rubber. Another cup stood recent judging was at U.S. Latte Art Championship as visual
for itself by over-fermentation and tasted more baggy and judge in Seattle in 2014 and
medicinal. Others were dryer with no presence of sweetness technical judge for Puerto
or brightness. The one cup that I showed more interest in Rico Barista Championship
had a moderate sweetness, and mellow acidity with notes of and Coffee in Good Spirit in
dry fruits and a black tea texture, was the one Honey that I 2014. I also love to harvest
had processed myself, it stood itself really well with a light and process coffees in the
body and pleasant after-taste. different coffee regions. So
The second round had coffee’s that lacked sweetness far, coffee farming took me
and acidity. One natural process was over fermented, the to Hawaii and Puerto Rico.
other was not properly fermented and had a high level of I currently reside and work
vinegar to the taste which further expanded to sourness, as barista in Los Angeles, California. I would like for any
more like stale milk and yoghurt that had passed its expira- barista around the world to experience coffee farming, get
tion date. Two other cups were quite interesting to me, one your hands into something that bear the fruit and provide us
cup that combined a pleasant balance of sweetness and an a joy working at coffee shops and making coffee for people.
elegant acidity with silky mouth-feel with a shiny sparkling That is true understanding of seed to cup concept.”

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