Washed

The fruit is stripped off and the seeds are fermented and rinsed clean before drying, for a clean, bright cup.

Washed coffee has its fruit removed before it dries. A pulper strips the skin and most of the flesh, leaving the seeds coated in a sticky layer called mucilage. The seeds then sit in tanks, usually for half a day to two days, while natural fermentation breaks that layer down. They are rinsed with clean water and dried on patios or raised beds for one to three weeks.

Because little fruit is in contact with the seed while it dries, washed coffees taste of the place and the plant rather than the process: clean, with clear acidity and defined flavors. That clarity is why most of the world's most prized origins, from Kenya to Colombia, are known first for their washed coffees.

Also called
Fully washed, wet process
Fermentation
Usually 12–48 hours in tanks, longer in cool climates
Drying
One to three weeks to about 11% moisture
Tastes
Clean and bright, with defined acidity
Signature notes
floral, citrus, jasmine
Origins
Colombia (610), Ethiopia (274), Kenya (191), Honduras (146), Panama (136), Peru (124), Ecuador (95), Guatemala (88)
Varieties
Gesha (330), Bourbon (194), Pink Bourbon (194), Caturra (193), SL28 (163), SL34 (125), Chiroso (90), Typica (88)
Flavors
Citrus (957), Floral (803), Stone fruit (724), Caramel & sugar (698), Berry (637), Red fruit (545), Tropical (460), Tea-like (312)

On the bag

Washing station
A central mill where many smallholders deliver cherry to be pulped, fermented and dried together; common in Ethiopia, Rwanda and Burundi.
Double washed
Two rounds of fermentation and washing, often with a soak in clean water at the end. Traditional in Kenya, and part of why Kenyan coffees taste so bright.
Wet mill
Where cherry is pulped and fermented; another name for a washing station.

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