This natural-process lot from Cauca’s Manos Juntas micromill brings notes of cherry liquor and dark chocolate to your cup! In Colombia, most farmers deliver coffee not in cherry, but as dried parchment: fruit is removed, and the dry, hull-covered seed is more shelf-stable. Producers earn more from this value addition, but the model can limit farmers without requisite space or equipment. There’s a debate going on right now in Colombia as to whether the parchment or cherry model is right for the country’s future. This lot from exporter Banexport’s Manos Juntas micromill is a tick in the “cherry” column as naturally processed coffees reward consistency, scale, and attention to detail. Buying mostly Castillo variety coffee from farmers of Sotará in Cauca province, the ideal cherries are sealed in tanks for five days of fermentation in an anoxic environment before a month-long drying process.