Our Premium Coffee Difference
Take a sip of that majestic black liquid, the deeply complex aromas hitting your nose like no other, and ask yourself what you’re drinking. First and foremost, as a roaster you really know coffee, but do you really know your coffee?
Much like the production of fine wine, our land is cultivated to develop and amplify the fruit’s potential, with each micro-lot producing a coffee bean with its own unique flavor profile to capture that one-of-a-kind brew. At Finca Naya, each crop’s purity is precious and must be maintained. Local buyers and cooperatives who mix beans from different growers, dilute their individual flavors and remove the unique characteristics that true coffee connoisseurs seek.We can guarantee you the highest standards of 100% Arabica coffee, with a vast selection of unique flavor profiles to choose from. With each micro-lot being cultivated in one place by artisan farmers, we ensure that the purity of the crop is maintained by eliminating the blending process, and guaranteeing a full-flavored, 100% gourmet batch of coffee for the discerning coffee tippler. As a result, we can provide you with comprehensive information such as the date of harvest, when the beans were received by the miller, port receipt dates, and even details of who cared for your coffee from seed to sack. The Naya way ensures demand from an exclusive, high-end market for the purity and variety our methods provide.
Our Difference vs Industrial Growers
We believe in tradition and preservation, as well targeting only ripe coffee cherries for harvest, which means that we stay true to our harvest through selective picking by hand. This can take some time, as farmers will need to perform multiple sweeps through each tree to pick the cherries as they ripen. Scientific studies consistently back up the long standing practises held by coffee farmers, concluding that harvesting coffee with the right color and the highest amount of mucilage can push for the highest cupping scores. The 2007 publication, K.C. O’Keefe’s Quality Formula, stated that the farmers decision on when to harvest their fruit accounts for 35% of the resulting coffee quality, so this method certainly promotes the complex and sweet flavors one would expect from a specialty coffee.
Another hand picked method is strip picking, however this involves cherries being harvested simultaneously. Farmers achieve this by pulling their hand along each branch to remove the cherries in one go. While this is a much faster approach, it means that the ripe fruit is mixed with less mature coffee cherries. This faster process leads to a lesser commodity-grade coffee in most cases, which is why we prefer the selective picking method..
Since the dawn of human civilization, we have set ourselves apart from most other species on Earth through our ingenuity and ability to create tools to assist us. Coffee production is no different. The selective picking method allows farmers to be careful and take control of their coffee quality, but it is a long and laborious task. The faster strip picking method already marks a clear improvement in speed, but this comes at the expense of quality. The next stage in development brings a further two options when implementing mechanized harvesting, which offer varying levels of human input.
How coffee is processed (Natural, Honey, Washed).
Washed Coffees
- While natural and honey processed coffees rely on a flavorsome coffee cherry around the bean, washed coffees are all about the bean itself having retained the nutrients and natural sugars absorbed during the growth cycle. This methodology puts extra impetus on the skill and knowledge of the farmer cultivating the crop. The washed process is popular within the gourmet coffee sector, as the single origin character of the bean can be highlighted to give a clarity of flavor that is unachievable with other methods.
- The artisanal farmer must have the perfect combination of varietal, soil, weather, ripeness, fermentation, washing and drying, in order to get the best results from this processing method.
Natural / Dry Coffees
- The most basic approach to coffee processing, the natural process originated in Ethiopia. To minimize disruption to the coffee while it dries, the fruit is not removed from the bean. This method is believed by some to produce a lower standard of coffee due to inconsistency in the resulting flavors. As the coffee cherry is left on the bean, less ripe fruits dry out and brown alongside the ripe fruits, leading to this inconsistency.
- However, if consistency can be achieved through careful harvest, it could be argued that natural / dry-processed coffees can be just as flavorsome as washed varieties. These coffees tend to lean towards sweeter, fruitier, notes during cupping. Another positive point to make on this process is that it is considered to be the most eco-friendly method available.
Honey / Pulped Natural Coffee
- A combination of the washed and natural processing techniques, honey processed coffee gains its name from the stickiness of the beans during production. The careful monitoring and control of mucilage levels allows producers to influence the sweetness and depth of the coffee. The rule of thumb is that the more mucilage is left on the bean, the sweeter your final product will be. While not as sweet as the naturals, when processed correctly, honey processed coffee can tasted as though there really is honey or brown sugar in your coffee.
Our Sustainable “Promise”
We work with the slower shade-grown technique and a more refined process of growing our plants, so we can all benefit from coffee beans that are richer in flavor, size, and quality. As our farm’s coffee production transitions to organic methods, you can say goodbye to synthetic herbicides, pesticides, phosphates, and petrochemicals. The average consumer has become ethically conscious and heavily critical of those who do not take the fair approach. Showing your client that an ethical product does not have to be inferior one is crucial, as we aim to provide the highest quality coffee products on a fairer global market. The dedication we guarantee means that we provide our clients, and ourselves, with safe, healthy, and delicious coffee.
