How the fruit is removed from the seed shapes the cup as much as where it grew. Indian producers have become some of the most adventurous processors in the world.
How: Cherries are pulped, the sticky mucilage is fermented off in tanks, then the beans are washed and dried in parchment.
In the cup: Clean and bright. Lets the variety and terroir show. In India this is sold as 'Plantation' (arabica) or 'Parchment' (robusta).
How: Whole cherries are dried in the sun on patios or raised beds for 2–4 weeks before hulling.
In the cup: Fruity, jammy, winey and heavier. Sold as 'Cherry' in Indian grading.
How: Pulped, but some or all of the sticky mucilage is left on while drying. Yellow, red and black honey keep progressively more.
In the cup: Sweet, syrupy, rounder than washed but cleaner than natural.
How: Cherries or pulped beans ferment in sealed, oxygen-free tanks for 24–200+ hours before drying.
In the cup: Intense, winey, boozy, sometimes funky. Divisive and exciting.
How: Borrowed from winemaking: whole cherries ferment in tanks flushed with CO₂.
In the cup: Vivid, candy-like fruit, often cinnamon and red wine.
How: Fermentation with chosen microbes: lactic acid bacteria, wine or bread yeasts, koji, or lab-grown cultures.
In the cup: Yoghurt, stone fruit, tropical, spice. Very expressive.
How: Beans ferment with added fruit, spice or flowers (pineapple, rose, cinnamon, jamun). Some call this infusion.
In the cup: Loud and dessert-like. The added ingredient usually dominates.
How: Green beans rest for weeks in used whisky, rum or wine barrels, absorbing aroma before roasting.
In the cup: Boozy aromatics, vanilla and oak. No alcohol in the cup.
How: Natural arabica or robusta is spread in open warehouses on the Malabar coast for 12–16 weeks of monsoon winds. The beans swell and turn pale gold.
In the cup: Very low acidity, heavy body, earthy, spicy and woody. Great in espresso blends.