James Hoffmann Fermentation Project Coffee Tasting Set

Name: James Hoffmann Fermentation Project Coffee Tasting Set
Brand: Ómra Coffee | Specialty Coffee Roasters
Price: 30.00 GBP
Availability: InStock

One coffee. Four processes. Taste what fermentation really changes.

A worldwide coffee tasting event created by James Hoffmann and fermentation specialist Lucia Solis, in partnership with Caravela Coffee.

What’s included

4 × 100g whole-bean coffees

100g Mechanically Demucilaged (control)
100g Wild Fermentation
100g Lactobacillus-Inoculated Fermentation
100g Saccharomyces Yeast-Inoculated Fermentation
Ómra comparative tasting booklet
Cupping guidance
Access information for the worldwide tasting

The major starting variables remain consistent: the farm, harvest, varietal composition and growing conditions are the same. The processing protocol is the principal variable being explored.

Taste all four together and discover what fermentation actually contributes to the cup.

4 x 100g coffee | Whole bean | Limited pre-order | Dispatched Mid-September

In stock

£30.00 GBP

Taxes included. Shipping calculated at checkout.

The Fermentation Project by James Hoffmann & Lucia Solis

What is The Fermentation Project?

The James Hoffmann Fermentation Project is a worldwide comparative coffee tasting exploring how four processing approaches change the same Guatemalan coffee.

Ómra’s tasting set contains four 100 g coffees, an accompanying tasting booklet and access to the global guided cupping on 3 October 2026.

All four lots began as the same coffee.

They came from the same farm, the same harvest and the same varietal mix. Each lot was then pulped, processed and dried according to a different fermentation protocol.

Lucia Solis worked directly with the team at Finca San Miguel Urias to ensure each coffee was:

pulped according to specification;
fermented using the intended protocol;
washed consistently;
and dried under controlled conditions.

This level of control makes the comparison more meaningful.

Rather than tasting four unrelated coffees and trying to guess what created their differences, you can compare four expressions of the same starting material.

Important Dates

Roast date: Monday 14th September 2026*.

Expected dispatch: During the week ending Sunday 20th September 2026*.

Worldwide guided cupping: Saturday 3rd October 2026, expected at 3:00 pm UK and Ireland time.

Orders will be dispatched with enough time for delivery and for the coffees to rest before the tasting.

*Dates and times remain subject to change. Confirmed updates will be communicated to customers before dispatch.

Inside your tasting set

4 × 100 g whole-bean coffees

100g Mechanically demucilaged control
100g Wild fermentation
100g Lactobacillus-inoculated fermentation
100g Saccharomyces yeast-inoculated fermentation

Ómra comparative tasting booklet

Cupping preparation guidance
Space to record your sensory observations
Access details for the worldwide guided tasting

Total coffee weight: 400 g

The four coffees

1. Mechanically Demucilaged Coffee (Control)

No fermentation - the control coffee

The mucilage surrounding the seed was removed mechanically rather than through fermentation.

This coffee provides the baseline for the experiment. Its character comes primarily from the coffee’s genetics, terroir and agricultural production, without an intentional fermentation stage adding another variable.

Taste this coffee first and use it as your reference point for the other three.

2. Wild Fermentation Coffee

48-hour submerged fermentation with naturally occurring microbes

This coffee underwent a submerged fermentation using the native microorganisms already present on the fruit and within the farm environment.

It represents the traditional approach used in many washed coffees: the local microbial population breaks down the mucilage before the coffee is washed and dried.

Because that population is not deliberately selected, the fermentation reflects the conditions and microbiology of the farm.

3. Lactobacillus Inoculated Coffee

48-hour submerged fermentation with selected bacteria

A selected Lactobacillus culture was introduced to guide the fermentation.

Lactic acid bacteria can influence the production of organic acids and other compounds during processing. This makes it possible to explore how a deliberately chosen bacterial culture changes the coffee compared with both the control and the wild fermentation.

4. Saccharomyces Yeast Inoculated Coffee

48-hour submerged fermentation with selected yeast

The fourth coffee was inoculated with a selected Saccharomyces yeast culture.

Yeast activity can influence the formation of flavour and aroma precursors during processing. This coffee allows you to compare a deliberately managed yeast fermentation against the bacterial, wild and unfermented versions.

Who created The Fermentation Project?

James Hoffmann

James Hoffmann is an award-winning coffee professional, author and educator. He won the World Barista Championship in 2007 and is widely known for making complex coffee subjects understandable to a broad audience.

Lucia Solis

Lucia Solis studied viticulture and enology at the University of California, Davis, with a focus on microbiology and fermentation science. After working in wine production, she moved into coffee and now works with producers to develop more controlled, repeatable and practical fermentation protocols.

Caravela Coffee

Caravela is the project’s origin and global distribution partner, supporting sourcing, traceability, quality management and coordination between producers and participating roasters.

More about the coffee and the people behind it

The coffees were produced at Finca San Miguel Urias, owned by Hector and Lilian Leal and operated under Rueda Farms.

The farm is located in the Antigua Valley of Guatemala, between Ciudad Vieja and San Miguel Dueñas, within the recognised Antigua growing region.

The lot is composed of approximately:

85% Caturra
15% H1
with a small amount of Bourbon

All four processing protocols were overseen by Lucia Solis, who worked closely with the farm team throughout pulping, fermentation, washing and drying.

Why was this coffee selected?

A comparative experiment only works when the underlying coffee is strong enough to remain clear across every process.

The coffee chosen for this project needed to be:

clean enough for subtle changes to remain visible;
sweet enough to stay approachable;
structured enough to respond to different fermentation methods;
and consistent enough for the four lots to be compared fairly.

From a sensory perspective, the goal was not to create four coffees defined by exaggerated fermentation character.

It was to select one coffee capable of showing nuance.

Across the four cups, you may find changes in intensity, acidity, texture, aroma and finish, while still recognising the same coffee underneath.

That is what makes the project valuable: the coffees are different, but they remain connected.

FAQs

Each Ómra set contains:

four 100 g pouches of whole-bean coffee;
one mechanically demucilaged control coffee;
one wild-fermented coffee;
one Lactobacillus-inoculated coffee;
one Saccharomyces yeast-inoculated coffee;
an Ómra comparative tasting booklet;
brewing guidance and space for tasting notes;
access information for the worldwide guided tasting.

The set contains 400 g of coffee in total.

Yes. The global event is designed around a comparative cupping of the four coffees.

You will prepare each coffee using the same dose, grind size, water and steeping method. This creates a consistent comparison between the mechanically demucilaged control, wild fermentation, Lactobacillus fermentation and Saccharomyces yeast fermentation.

Final preparation instructions will be shared before the event.

Coffee cupping is a simple, standardised method used to taste and compare coffees.

Ground coffee is placed directly into a cup or bowl, hot water is added, and the coffee is allowed to steep. After several minutes, the floating crust of coffee grounds is broken and removed. The coffee is then tasted with a spoon as it gradually cools.

Because every coffee is prepared in the same way, cupping makes it easier to compare differences in aroma, sweetness, acidity, body, texture and finish.

Find our cupping guide here →

We do not want to tell you what you are supposed to taste before you begin.

The project is designed as an open comparison. You may notice changes in:

aroma;
sweetness;
acidity;
body;
texture;
flavour intensity;
finish;
and overall preference.

Beginning without a predetermined list of flavour notes helps you form your own impressions before comparing them with other participants.

The Fermentation Project is a worldwide comparative coffee tasting created by coffee educator James Hoffmann and fermentation specialist Lucia Solis, with Caravela Coffee.

One Guatemalan coffee was divided into four lots and processed in four different ways. By keeping the farm, harvest and starting coffee consistent, the project makes it easier to explore how fermentation influences the final cup.

Yes. All four coffees came from the same starting lot at Finca San Miguel Urias, owned by Hector and Lilian Leal and operated under Rueda Farms in Guatemala’s Antigua Valley.

The coffee is approximately 85% Caturra, with H1 and a small amount of Bourbon. Lucia Solis worked closely with the farm team to ensure that each lot was pulped, fermented, washed and dried according to its intended protocol.

The set contains four versions of the same coffee:

Mechanically demucilaged

The mucilage was removed mechanically without a fermentation stage. This serves as the control coffee.

Wild fermentation

The coffee underwent fermentation using the naturally occurring microbial population present at the farm.

Lactobacillus inoculation

A selected Lactobacillus culture was introduced to guide the fermentation.

Saccharomyces yeast inoculation

A selected Saccharomyces yeast culture was introduced to guide the fermentation.

Together, the four coffees allow you to compare an unfermented reference with wild, bacterial and yeast-led fermentation.

In washed-coffee production, fermentation has a practical role: microorganisms help break down the sticky mucilage surrounding the coffee seed so that it can be washed away before drying.

Fermentation can also influence aroma, acidity, sweetness, texture and flavour development. The purpose of this project is to make those effects easier to explore by applying different fermentation approaches to the same starting coffee. Food fermentation can involve bacteria and yeast transforming available compounds and creating new flavour-active substances.

Ómra Coffee is roasting The Fermentation Project in Derry, Northern Ireland.

The 4 × 100 g tasting set is available for pre-order with tracked delivery across the UK, Ireland and selected European destinations.