Collection: Ethiopian Supernaturals

It all began in El Salvador. When our founder, Saša Šestić, visited Mauricio Salaverria in 2011, Mauricio was experimenting with natural processed coffees. This was an unusual adventure in El Salvador at the time, as the origin was known for its incredible washed lots. After the first taste, Saša and Mauricio talked about options and what to test for the next season’s harvest, including thick-stack drying (which was a risky move). 

 

Years later, when Saša visited again, Mauricio presented his natural processed lots on the cupping table, and claimed: “This coffee tastes… supersonic!” In 2014, Mauricio placed 5th in the COE with his Supersonic lot, one of the highest ranking naturals in the COE, and ever since, Mauricio’s Supersonic lot has been in high demand from roasters everywhere.

 

Thanks to his bravery and adventurous experiments, Mauricio began our Project Origin pathway to the Supernaturals range. It requires additional care, space and time to reduce the risks of over-fermentation on the drying beds, but the results are far beyond expectation.

Supernaturals are developed using a combination of techniques related to fermentation and drying.

Most lots utilise two or more of these techniques

• Increasing temperature to speed up fermentation rates
• Decreasing temperature to lengthen fermentation times
• Thick-stack drying at various depths on raised beds
• Shade drying to slow down drying times at different levels of moisture in the cherries
• Covering or wrapping the cherries to retain heat and moisture for short bursts of time

By adjusting the way we process coffee, we can discover new expressions from the same varieties and regions that we think we know. This happens when we can work with the natural state of the cherries in each origin, and then choose processing methods and techniques that will most enhance its characteristics. To find our enhanced flavour, sweetness and body, we develop natural coffees that go beyond expectations… Super-naturals.

Our Supernatural range encompasses a variety of experimental techniques, many of which have been learnt and adapted from our years of trials with different processes.

We are very serious and strict when it comes to achieving the refinement and structure of our Carbonic Maceration (CM Selections) coffees. But we also like to play, be experimental and try new, even crazy ideas with processing. That is how Supernaturals came to be.

For these coffees we focus on boosting the characteristics of flavour, sweetness and body. It is less about clarity or refinement and more about expressive, exciting, yet approachable coffees.