Two lots of coffee from the very same farm can taste like different beans entirely — clean and floral, or wild and jammy. Usually the reason isn't the variety or the altitude. It's processing: what happens to the cherry in the days after it's picked.
Washed: clarity
In washed (or 'wet') processing, the fruit is stripped from the bean before drying. With the sugary pulp removed early, the flavours that remain come from the bean itself — so washed coffees tend to taste clean, bright and defined. Ethiopia's classic washed Yirgacheffe and Sidamo, with their jasmine and citrus notes, are the reference point for the whole style.
Natural: intensity
In natural (or 'dry') processing, the whole cherry is dried intact, fruit and all. The bean ferments gently inside the drying fruit, soaking up sweetness and body. The result is bolder and fruitier — think the blueberry of a natural Harar, or the wine-like depth of a natural Jimma. It's the older method, and in dry regions, the practical one.
How to choose
- Want clarity and a delicate, tea-like cup? Reach for washed.
- Want a fruit-forward, sweet, heavier body? Go natural.
- Blending? A natural lot can add sweetness and fruit to a washed base.
Many OCFCU origins are available both ways, so you can pick the profile that fits your roast. Not sure which lot suits you? Ask for samples of both and cup them side by side — it's the fastest coffee education there is.