Ximeng - Black Sheep

by Black & White

MEET THE PRODUCER | Every family has one. Unpredictable and unconventional, black sheep often get a bad rap. But if you take the time to get to know one, you'll come to realize they're really a lot of fun. This coffee, processed by our friends at Torch Coffee in Ximeng, China, was lovingly given the name “Black Sheep” for that very reason. Coffee grown and processed in China seldom finds its way to the US, and we feel very grateful to have gotten our hands on this one again this year! TRUST THE PROCESS | This experimental lot underwent a 30-day anaerobic fermentation protocol—and no, that wasn't a typo. Thirty. Days. That process happens in three stages of fermentation. First, the coffee cherries undergo an initial drying period to 35% moisture. Next, they are placed in huge (think, like, tractor trailer-sized huge) sealed tanks, where they undergo fermentation for 20 days. Throughout this hyper-extended fermentation period, the temperature within the seeds is carefully monitored and h