Frequency: The Fermentation Tasting Project
FREQUENCY
The Fermentation Tasting Project — Three Keys Coffee × James Hoffmann
PRE-ORDER: Roasting Sept 12-15; Shipping Sept 16-18.
One coffee. Four fermentation paths. Same farm, same variety, same 48-hour window — only the fermentation itself changes. The result: Acoustic, Live, Treble, Bass — four expressions of a single Guatemalan lot.
🎧 Global live tasting with James Hoffmann — Saturday, October 3, 2026, ~9:00 AM Central
ACOUSTIC
Mechanically Demucilaged · WASHED
The coffee, stripped back. Washed process. This is the reference point for everything else. That makes Acoustic our control: the closest look at the coffee before fermentation begins shaping its flavor.
Think of it as an acoustic performance: no added effects, just the source material.
LIVE
Wild Fermentation · 48 Hours
Live undergoes a 48-hour fermentation driven by the naturally occurring microorganisms already present in the coffee's environment.
There is no selected bacteria or yeast added to direct the process. Instead, the local microbial community does what it has traditionally done in coffee processing: consumes sugars in the mucilage and produces compounds that can influence what we eventually experience in the cup.
That's why we call it Live: the same source material, shaped by the energy and unpredictability of a live performance.
TREBLE
Lactobacillus Inoculated · 48 Hours
The coffee is intentionally inoculated with Lactobacillus, bacteria known for producing organic acids during fermentation. Those acids can influence how we perceive brightness, acidity and complexity in the finished coffee, bringing certain characteristics forward with greater definition and lift.
We call it Treble for what happens at the high end: brightness turned up.
BASS
Saccharomyces Yeast Inoculated · 48 Hours
Inoculated with selected yeast for fuller body and layered complexity. The coffee is fermented for 48 hours with selected Saccharomyces yeast. During fermentation, the yeast produces compounds and flavor precursors that can influence the coffee's eventual sensory profile, particularly its body and complexity.
We call it Bass for the weight, depth, and texture.
HOW TO TASTE
- Acoustic — your reference point, washed process
- Live — what changes when fermentation begins
- Treble — brightness, acidity, complexity
- Bass — body, depth, texture
Then go back — Acoustic beside Treble, Live beside Bass. The point isn't which is "best." It's discovering what fermentation actually tastes like.
| Variety | ~85% Caturra, ~15% H1, small amount Bourbon |
| Farm | Finca San Miguel Urias — Hector & Lilian Leal, Rueda Farms |
| Location | Antigua Valley, Guatemala |
| Altitude | 1460–1540 masl |
| Included | 4 × 100g bags (400g total) — one of each |
