Our team at Rogue Wave Coffee is excited and honoured to take part in The Fermentation Project, a collaboration between James Hoffmann and fermentation consultant Lucia Solis.
If you purchased one of our kits last month, this post will walk you through what you'll be receiving, why it's special, and everything you need to know ahead of the global live tasting on Saturday, October 3, 2026.
What's in the kit
Your Fermentation Project Kit includes 4x 100g bags, each representing a different fermentation method applied to the same lot from Finca San Miguel Urias in Antigua, Guatemala:
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Mechanical Demucilagination: The mucilage is removed after harvest, with virtually no fermentation. This is the benchmark the other three coffees are measured against. Its profile comes purely from growing practices and the genetic characteristics of the variety.
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Wild Fermentation: A traditional 48-hour submerged fermentation relying on the microorganisms naturally present on the cherries and in the environment. This is the method most washed coffees experience.
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Lactobacillus Inoculation: A 48-hour submerged fermentation inoculated with Lactobacillus bacteria to promote organic acid production, influencing the brightness and complexity of the coffee.
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Saccharomyces Yeast Inoculation: A 48-hour submerged fermentation inoculated with selected yeast to develop aromatic precursors, influencing the body and complexity of the coffee.
What makes this kit so special
Fermentation is primarily a functional step within the washed coffee process. It helps producers process larger volumes of coffee more effectively and reduces challenges during drying. Fermentation is also a critical moment of flavour development, which offers a rare opportunity to experiment and understand how different approaches shape the final cup.
When you taste a "fermented" coffee, you almost never get to taste the unfermented version for direct comparison. This kit gives you that side by side experience with a single, consistent starting material.
Four different processes of the same lot demonstrate the effect of fermentation. The goal was to select a coffee that clearly shows the nuance of fermentation while staying clean, sweet, and approachable, and this lot does that very well.
We're roasting these beans light enough that you'll be able to distinguish the differences between the processes while still bringing out each coffee's most inherent, delicious flavours.
100g per bag also means you're not limited to cupping. You have enough to cup all four side by side, and then brew and enjoy them the way you normally would.
About the farm & varietal
These lots come from Finca San Miguel Urias, owned by Hector and Lilian Leal and operated under Rueda Farms in the Antigua Valley (genuine Antigua), between Ciudad Vieja and San Miguel Dueñas. The variety mix is roughly 85% Caturra, 15% H1, with some Bourbon.
All four lots were processed by Lucia Solis, who worked closely with the farm team to ensure the coffee was pulped, fermented, washed, and dried according to specification.
The live tasting
The global tasting takes place on Saturday, October 3, 2026, livestreamed on James Hoffmann's YouTube channel at 3pm GMT. Coffee drinkers around the world will be tasting the same four coffees at the same time, guided by James.
The stream runs for around an hour, including some Q&A, but we suggest you plan for 30–40 minutes of actual tasting time, including setup. If you end up watching the guide afterward instead of live, budget the same 30 to 40 minutes to get the most out of it.
What you'll need for the tasting
Aside from your set of 4 coffees, we recommend you have:
- A coffee grinder, ideally a burr grinder. The suggestion is to grind medium-fine.
- 4 cups or small bowls, ideally the same size, between 150ml (5oz) and 250ml (8oz). Bigger is fine too.
- A digital scale, accurate to at least 1g
- One spoon per person. A coffee tasting spoon is ideal, but a soup spoon or dessert spoon works fine.
- A kettle
- Suitable brew water (more on this below)
- Internet access and a device for streaming video
- A way to take notes, whether handwritten or digitally
Brewing water
Suitable water will improve your tasting experience, though it isn't strictly required. Our suggestion would be to use distilled water, and you're welcome to add water minerals such as Aquacode or Third Wave Water if you would like. Otherwise, we would say that the minimum requirement is water that's relatively soft and neutral tasting, so something like water from a Brita.
This should all give you a clear picture of what to expect and why we're so glad to be part of this project!
Tasting at home
If you're new to cupping or want a refresher before the tasting, check out our guide: Tasting and cupping coffee at home: A beginner's guide
And, check out our how-to video on cupping, hosted by our Cafe Manager, Lissette!
About James Hoffmann
James Hoffmann is one of specialty coffee's most recognized voices, known for his award winning YouTube channel and his book, The World Atlas of Coffee. He won the World Barista Championship in 2007 and went on to co-found Square Mile Coffee Roasters in London. For The Fermentation Project, James leads the tasting and communication side, and will be hosting the global live tasting that brings coffee drinkers together to taste the same four coffees at the same time.
About Lucia Solis
Lucia studied Viticulture and Enology at the University of California, Davis, specializing in microbiology and fermentation science. She spent nine years working in wine production in Napa Valley before shifting her focus to coffee in 2014. Today, she's a coffee fermentation and processing specialist with over 12 years of international experience, having worked alongside producers in more than 15 countries.
Lucia supports coffee producers in rethinking processing as a strategic opportunity to add value and reduce risk at the wet mill. Her work centres on simplifying and streamlining protocols from fermentation through drying, creating greater clarity and operational control. By applying microbiological principles, she helps producers develop reproducible cup profiles while bringing stability to one of the most variable stages of coffee production. Her approach combines scientific rigour with practical simplicity, keeping innovation accessible and scalable.