If you know Bocca, you know we like to go deep when it comes to flavour, quality and process. But we also believe coffee should remain enjoyable and accessible, not a lesson in microbiology. In this blog, we take a closer look at one processing method that deserves the spotlight: Advanced Natural.
What is a “Natural”, exactly?
Let’s start at the beginning. The coffee bean sits inside a coffee cherry.
With a natural process, the cherries are dried in the sun after harvesting, with the skin and fruit still intact. Nothing is removed; the process is, quite literally, natural.
This is very different from a washed coffee, the most common method, where the skin, fruit and often the sticky, sugar-rich layer around the bean are removed before drying.
Because those sugars remain around the bean for longer in a natural process, the coffee has more time to absorb sweetness and fruit character.
The result? More sweetness, more fruit and more body, often with a surprising, almost wine-like quality. Naturals are already special when done well. But then there’s the next level.
Advanced Natural: more precise, cleaner and more complex
An Advanced Natural is not a marketing term. It’s a labour-intensive process that requires extra work, care and precision.
In an Advanced Natural process, the coffee goes through an additional fermentation stage that demands close monitoring. Cherries are processed in smaller batches and dried with great attention, allowing sugars and natural micro-organisms the time they need to develop more complex, cleaner fruit flavours.
For farmers, this method carries risk. One mistake in temperature or timing can mean losing an entire batch. But when it works, the result is a coffee so expressive it’s hard to believe it all comes from the cherry itself.
What does an Advanced Natural taste like?
Every coffee is different, but you can often expect:
• pronounced fruit notes
• funky, yet clean flavours
• juicy, almost sparkling acidity
• complexity without being overwhelming
• a subtle fermentation twist (always within a controlled flavour profile)
Why we’re such fans (and you probably will be too)
At Bocca, we’ve worked with naturals for many years, but Advanced Naturals are truly in a category of their own. They align perfectly with what we believe in: flavour driven by craftsmanship, and collaboration with farmers who invest in quality at origin.
And that brings us to one name straight away: Tesfaye.
Tesfaye: 25 years of partnership and a pioneer in processing
Our collaboration with Tesfaye goes back more than 25 years. In the early days, our shared focus was on improving coffee quality itself, from plants to processing.
Over time, that foundation allowed us to invest more broadly in strengthening the local community, through projects such as schools, improved infrastructure and the professionalisation of washing stations.
Tesfaye is not only a visionary farmer; he is someone who continuously evolves and innovates. Advanced Natural processing fits perfectly with his approach. He works with a level of care and attention that you can taste immediately in the cup. His naturals and advanced naturals have been favourites within our team and our community for years.
Curious to taste it for yourself?
By coincidence, or perhaps not at all, we currently have something special that shows exactly what an Advanced Natural can do.
Our new December Special, The Sparkling Cola, is an Advanced Natural from Tesfaye. Expect flavours that genuinely recall cherry cola, blackcurrant and red grapes, created purely through this meticulous process.
You can read more about it on the product page.
