Enter: Left Field

LEFT FIELD IS OUR CREATIVE SERIES DEDICATED TO BLENDING TRADITIONAL AND INNOVATIVE COFFEE FARMING AND PROCESSING TECHNIQUES. EVERY YEAR, WE UNVEIL UNIQUE BATCHES THAT SHOWCASE THE POSSIBILITIES WITHIN OUR FARM AND THE BROADER AUSTRALIAN COFFEE SCENE. THESE EXPERIMENTS TEACH US VALUABLE LESSONS, WHICH WE ARE EAGER TO SHARE WITH YOU.

THIS YEAR MARKS THE DEBUT OF LEFT FIELD NO. 1, A DISTINCT FERMENTATION METHOD APPLIED TO OUR 2023 HARVEST.

FERMENTATION IS A NATURAL PROCESS WHERE MICROBES BREAK DOWN THE SUGARS IN COFFEE CHERRIES, ENHANCING THE COFFEE'S FLAVOR. FOR THIS BATCH, WE OPTED FOR INOCULATED FERMENTATION, INTRODUCING SPECIFIC YEASTS TO STEER THE PROCESS TOWARDS RICHER FLAVORS.

LEFT FIELD NO. 1 UNDERWENT A SINGLE CONTROLLED FERMENTATION PROCESS. AFTER REMOVING THE SKIN FROM THE COFFEE CHERRIES, WE ADDED A YEAST AND BACTERIA MIX DEVELOPED BY CHR HANSEN. THE COFFEE SAT IN FERMENTATION TANKS FOR 64 HOURS, WAS WASHED, THEN DRIED USING TWO METHODS FOR COMPARISON: A CUSTOM-BUILT MECHANICAL DRYER AND A MODIFIED TRAILER BED MIMICKING AFRICAN DRYING BEDS FOR OPTIMAL AIRFLOW AND HANDLING.

THE RESULT IS A LIMITED-EDITION SMALL BATCH WITH LIVELY ACIDITY AND SWEETNESS, FEATURING NOTES OF APRICOT, ORANGE, AND CARAMEL.

WITH THIS INITIAL RELEASE, WE'VE GAINED INSIGHTS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE GROWING AUSTRALIAN COFFEE INDUSTRY. WE LOOK FORWARD TO INTRODUCING MORE INNOVATIONS WITH THE UPCOMING 2024 HARVEST.

WE EXTEND OUR HEARTFELT THANKS TO LORENA SEGURA FOR HER ENTHUSIASM AND KNOWLEDGE, WHICH HAVE BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN OUR JOURNEY AND THE INDUSTRY AT LARGE.