Sidra Lactic

Ecuador | Vinka Farm | Carlos & Maria Fernanda | 2024 Sidra Lactic Honey

Lighter roasting keeps more of the natural acidity and sweetness intact which makes for a beautifully expressive black coffee — and this one happens to play nicely with milk too. Expect a softer balanced cup where the sweetness carries through without turning sharp.

Sidra is a newer high-end varietal, believed to be a hybrid of Bourbon and Typica, developed in Ecuador. It combines floral and fruity cup characteristics with a creamy mouthfeel and long finish. It’s gaining popularity among experimental farms and barista competitions for its distinctive profile.

The Lactic Honey process is a hybrid method that blends elements of honey processing with controlled lactic acid fermentation. After harvesting, ripe cherries are pulped to remove the skin, but much of the sticky mucilage is left on the beans—typical of honey processing. Instead of drying immediately, the mucilage-covered beans are placed in sealed or semi-sealed tanks where oxygen is limited, creating an environment that encourages lactic acid bacteria to thrive.

These bacteria convert sugars into lactic acid, resulting in a smooth, creamy texture and heightened sweetness. After fermentation, the beans are dried slowly with the mucilage still intact, deepening the complexity of the cup.

The result is a coffee that’s silky, sweet, and clean, often with yogurt-like acidity, stone fruit notes, and a round, balanced body.

Enhanced sweetness with vibrant acidity, tropical fruit notes, and a delicate caramel finish (2024 Harvest)

Ecuador | Vinka Farm | Carlos & Maria Fernanda | 2024 Sidra Lactic Honey - When is peak flavour?

This is our first directly sourced coffee — grown, processed, and shipped by Maria and Carlos from Vinka Farm in Loja, Ecuador.

We’ve secured four distinct lots of their Sidra varietal, each processed differently: Natural Anaerobic, Natural Oxidation, Honey, and Lactic Honey. Same cherries, different methods — and six unique cup profiles that show just how much processing changes flavour.

Vinka Coffee is grown by Maria Fernanda and Carlos, two university researchers turned passionate specialty coffee farmers. Their farm, nestled in the highlands of Loja, Ecuador, embodies a commitment to biodiversity, sustainability, and precision processing.

Each micro-lot is carefully hand-harvested at peak ripeness, with cherries measured at 25° Brix. These cherries undergo innovative processes—ranging from anaerobic natural fermentation to lactic fermentation—to unlock diverse flavour profiles.

The Sidra varietal is a unique Ethiopian landrace, not a hybrid, making it a pure genetic descendant from Ethiopia's rich coffee heritage. Brought to Ecuador through a research initiative, it combines exceptional cup quality with the potential for high productivity.

Sidra has gained international recognition for its complex sensory profile, often described as floral and fruity, with hints of blueberry, lime, honey, and blackberries. It also features a distinct menthol note, rarely found in other coffees, which sets it apart and attracts specialty coffee buyers worldwide.

With its growing acclaim, Sidra is poised to become a flagship coffee variety, rivalling the reputation of Gesha, and positioning Ecuador as a producer of some of the world’s most exquisite coffees.

Ecuador is quickly gaining recognition in the coffee world for its high-quality specialty coffee production. With a combination of diverse microclimates, fertile volcanic soil, and dedicated producers like Maria Fernanda and Carlos, Ecuador is redefining what coffee lovers can expect from South America.

Each process unlocks distinct flavour experiences, ensuring there’s a perfect cup for every coffee enthusiast:

Mouthfeel : Creamy and rich, with a soft yet vibrant acidity.

Description : This innovative take on the Honey process uses lactic fermentation to amplify sweetness and acidity, resulting in a complex and indulgent cup.

How is it processed? Before harvesting, we prepare an inoculum of lactic acid bacteria endemic to our farm. (Plant-based inoculum produced from the same coffee cherries fermented during the natural process.) The cherries are then submerged in a saline solution to encourage the growth of lactic acid bacteria. Fermentation occurs in a liquid phase and continues until the pH reaches approximately 3.7. After this step, the process follows the same steps as the Honey process, with the cherries pulped and dried until they reach 11% humidity.