Philippine Sitio Kisbong Anaerobic Natural 3012

Our 3rd year of very special and experimental “nano-lots” with our partners in the Philippines, this uniquely processed coffee stems from Sitio Kisbong in the Benguet mountain region. This particular coffee uses anaerobic fermentation to further manipulate the environment.

Lot 3012 is an increibly small nano lot, only yielding 52.91lbs in total (green coffee).

In 2014, among Kalsada’s first purchase of coffee was from a small community called Sitio  Kisbong in Atok, Benguet. Farmers processed coffees from their own backyards with their  hand-cranked pulpers and dried them bilao, or winning baskets, on top of their roofs. Despite  growing coffee for decades, most farmers regarded it as a secondary crop and only applied  traditional ways of processing. Coffee quality was inconsistent, and production was low. On  average, each farmer can only produce 35kgs to 50kgs of coffee. 

In partnership with Bo’s coffee, a Philippine coffee house chain, we established a small  community washing station in Sitio Kisbong in 2019. In years prior, their coffees were  processed at Sitio Belis, our first mill. In Sitio Kisbong’s first year of operation, coffees from 14  family farmers went through the natural process. As a result of typhoon rains and winds during  this harvest, most coffees from 33 family farmers were washed and dried for 4-6 weeks.

92 points from coffeereview.com! Here is their take:

Blind assessment: Gently tart, sweetly herbaceous. Orange zest, pomegranate, cocoa nib, goat milk yogurt, cedar in aroma and cup. Sweet-tart structure with tangy acidity; full, syrupy-smooth mouthfeel. Gently drying finish centered around notes of orange zest and cedar.

The bottom line: A uniquely composed anaerobic Philippines coffee with a tart, yogurt-like flavor and nice cocoa undertones.