Specialty coffee · Worth knowing

Brandywine Coffee Roasters has released the second volume of their Strawnana Smash Co-Ferment Blend, a specialty coffee featuring four distinct fermentation processes from Colombian producers. The blend combines Process 22 (Honeyed Banana Coferment) with cultures of lactobacillus and saccharomyces cerevisiae fermented for eight days before a 150-hour coffee fermentation; a Creamy Strawberry Coferment using citric acid and bacterial cultures submerged in a flavor-modulating broth; a dry-process Strawberry Coferment with 48-hour yeast and fruit fermentation followed by 76-hour drying; and a Citrus and Cacao Yeast Coferment involving 64-hour oxidative fermentation, thermal shock treatment at 50°C for cellular inoculation, and 64-hour submerged fermentation. The resulting cup offers fresh strawberry, banana cake, and yogurt notes with enhanced body, cleaner aftertaste, and brighter acidity from the advanced fermentation techniques employed across the four components.

This cupping session at Coffee Fest Dallas-Fort Worth 2026 explores how roasting techniques shape flavor by tracing coffee from origin through heat application to final cup. Participants will taste a curated flight roasted in or near their countries of origin, experiencing how temperature, rate of rise, and energy transfer influence the final product—comparing how local traditions and roasting choices at origin versus destination create distinct flavor expressions. The session, led by Shanita Nicholas of Quantum Seeds, connects coffee's historical and cultural context with the thermodynamics of modern roasting practice.

This Colombia Solsticio from Andy Roasters employs a sophisticated triple fermentation honey process developed by trading partner The Coffee Quest. After initial aerobic fermentation at origin, the depulped coffee undergoes a three-stage fermentation at Los Patios designed to enhance fruit expression while maintaining structure. The key innovation is their proprietary "Fruit Juice" culture—a controlled fermented solution containing tropical precursors introduced during the final mixed fermentation stage to create aromatic intensity and fruit-forward clarity. The coffee is then dried slowly over 12–16 days in a controlled environment before stabilization in GrainPro bags to preserve moisture and profile integrity. Roasted to medium for filter brewing methods including V60, Chemex, Aeropress, and French Press, this represents modern experimental processing techniques aimed at achieving clean, explosive fruit characteristics.