Terroir vs Fermentation: Who Gets Credit for the Flavour?

Spotted: two camps glaring at each other across the cupping table. One swears flavour comes from the mountain. The other swears it comes from the tank. Darling, they’re both a little bit right.

Short answer: Terroir is everything about where a coffee grew: altitude, soil and climate. Fermentation is what happens to the fruit after it’s picked. Both shape the cup. Modern processing can now change flavour so much that people argue over which one deserves the credit.

• Terroir gives you: The raw material: density, sugars, acidity, the variety’s own character
• Fermentation gives you: How those are developed, muted or pushed
• Roasting gives you: How much of either you finally taste

The case for the mountain

Coffee grown high and slow builds more sugar and brighter acidity. That’s why a Kenyan tastes like blackcurrant and citrus and a Brazilian leans to chocolate and nuts. Think of it as an accent: you can usually tell where a coffee is from by how it speaks.

The case for the tank

Fermentation used to be an afterthought. Now producers control oxygen, time, temperature and yeast the way winemakers do. Seal the tank and you get intense fruit. Add a chosen yeast and you steer the flavour on purpose. A great process can lift a humble variety; Castillo, long dismissed as boring, has produced some spectacular cups.

So who wins?

Nobody, and that’s fine. A heavy process on a poor coffee tastes like perfume on a wet dog. A great coffee handled carelessly tastes like nothing. The best cups are a good place and a good process that didn’t fight each other.

Taste it yourself. Kenya Malaki is mostly the mountain talking. Piña Colada is mostly the tank. Sudan Rume is a rare plant and a long fermentation meeting halfway.

Quick answers

What does terroir mean in coffee?

The growing conditions: altitude, soil and weather. It’s a word borrowed from wine.

Does fermentation hide terroir?

Heavy processing can cover it. Light processing lets it through. Neither is wrong; it should just be labelled.

What is anoxic or anaerobic fermentation?

Fermentation with the oxygen kept out, for more control. Read coffee processing, explained.

Which should I buy?

If you want the place, pick a washed coffee. If you want the process, pick from Angry.

Read next: Washed, Natural, Honey: Coffee Processing Explained · What Is Co-Fermented Coffee? · Papua New Guinea Coffee: The Underdog Origin

You know you love it.
xoxo, The Angry Roaster