One month ago a conversation was begun on James Hoffman's blog on the merits of naturally processed coffees vs. washed process coffees.
It's still going on.
The naturals vs. washed conversation is kind of a 'big deal' subject as it pertains to everything - consumer preferences, specialty coffee education, farmer income, environmental responsibility, sustainable agriculture, demand vs. supply, pricing... you name it.
In short, the general contention is that washed coffees are more sophisticated, consistent and representative of the 'specialty coffee ideal', but use far more resources (especially water) to produce. Naturals are more 'wild' tasting, are easier for customers to differentiate and understand, but are less consistent in quality, thus more risky for growers - however, at the benefit of requiring fewer resources to process.
The conversation involved every part of the supply/demand chain: consumers, industry gadflies, baristas, retailers, roasters, green bean buyers/importers and resellers, and perhaps most importantly, growers. We were treated to perspectives on what retailers thought their customers wanted, what roasters/buyers thought was good for the industry and what growers think is sustainable for them.
It's a fascinating look at the specialty coffee industry and how our opinions differ within the industry. It's also quite the education and should be required reading for every barista and roaster.
We imagine Geoff Watts will be talking about some of this when he comes to Pittsburgh on the 24th.
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