Finca Deborah | Afterglow | Classic Natural

Finca Deborah Afterglow is our traditional, naturally processed Geisha. Afterglow starts with a meticulous harvesting practice where only the ripest, intact cherries are harvested with a BRIX reading over 21. These cherries are quickly brought to the dry-house for post-selection on the top level of Deborah’s 3-tiered African bed system designed by Jamison Savage. While on the top level, a certain depth of the cherries is required to prevent over-fermentation and off-flavors. Frequent agitation of the cherries is needed during the first several days to minimize any possible opportunity for a fungal bloom, and constant monitoring of temperatures, airflow, and humidity inside the dry-houses is critical.

After several days in direct sunlight, the coffee is dropped to the second-level bed, where it is essentially shade-dried for up to 30 days. This slow, methodical process gives the coffee grain an opportunity to absorb the layered, natural, and complex flavors provided by the sweet fruit. It is laborious and exhausting work.

After the coffees have been dried to 10.5-11% humidity, it is placed in grain-pro bags and stored in a bodega for up to 90 days. This “reposo” or rest gives the coffee the opportunity to equalize the humidity inside the grain and stabilize, all while the coffee continues to absorb the sweetness and flavor Deborah Afterglow is known for.

After several days in direct sunlight, the coffee is dropped to the second-level bed, where it is essentially shade-dried for up to 30 days. This slow, methodical process gives the coffee grain an opportunity to absorb the layered, natural, and complex flavors provided by the sweet fruit. It is laborious and exhausting work, but it is essential to bring out the best in this special coffee.