Anaerobic
Fermented in sealed tanks without oxygen before drying, for an intense, fruit-forward and often boozy cup.
In an anaerobic process the coffee ferments in a sealed tank or bag, so the microbes work with little or no oxygen. Producers ferment whole cherries or pulped seeds for anywhere from a day to several days, often watching temperature and acidity closely, then wash the coffee or dry it as a natural or honey. That's why bags say "anaerobic natural" or "anaerobic washed", and why we list anaerobic alongside the coffee's base process.
The sealed, slower fermentation pushes flavors further: tropical fruit, cinnamon, red wine and liqueur notes are common, sometimes with a creamy, yogurt-like (lactic) edge. The method spread through specialty coffee in the 2010s, helped by competition baristas. The name only says oxygen was kept out, not how long or how warm, so two anaerobic coffees can be very different.
- Fermentation
- Sealed tanks, roughly 24 hours to several days
- Then
- Washed, or dried as a natural or honey
- Tastes
- Intense fruit, spice and winey or boozy notes
- Signature notes
- jasmine, floral, cherry
- Origins
- Colombia (203), Panama (56), Ethiopia (45), Ecuador (38), Honduras (38), El Salvador (23), Costa Rica (21), Brazil (17)
- Varieties
- Gesha (126), Caturra (33), Pink Bourbon (28), Bourbon (25), Castillo (21), Sidra (20), Pacamara (17), Typica Mejorado (16)
- Flavors
- Floral (211), Berry (208), Citrus (192), Tropical (180), Caramel & sugar (163), Red fruit (161), Stone fruit (152), Chocolate (103)
On the bag
- Double anaerobic
- Two sealed fermentations, typically one in the cherry and one after pulping.
- Low oxygen, hypoxic
- Other names for the same idea. Some producers prefer them because a sealed tank still starts with some air in it.
Roasters that carry it most
- Perc (56)
- Black & White (108)
- Prodigal (5)
- Onyx Coffee Lab (89)