Nespresso’s limited edition La Cumplida Refinada coffee is Nestlé’s first coffee to “unlock” a differentiated profile through post-harvest fermentation, a natural process that takes place at the farm just after coffee cherries are picked. 

It starts spontaneously due to microorganisms naturally present in the environment and on the green coffee beans.

Controlling this fermentation is an important practice that is increasingly being adopted in coffee production. It has been used for many years in other categories of the food industry, such as yogurt and cheese, to enhance flavor and aroma.  

“For the first time, we were able to reveal a direct link between fermentation and the flavor attributes of a coffee brew,” says Cyril Moccand, a scientist at Nestlé Research. 

Therefore, fermentation is another tool along the value chain for coffee producers to refine the natural flavors and aromas of the final brew. 

La Cumplida Refinada
Through hundreds of fermentation trials, a multidisciplinary team of Nespresso coffee experts, Nestlé researchers and local farmers have been working side-by-side to identify and apply tailored fermentation conditions to the harvested coffee beans.

Mastering this on-farm post-harvest fermentation technique brings smooth notes of candied cherry and pomegranate to the Nespresso La Cumplida Refinada coffee, which is natural, sustainable and consistent, according to the company. 

“The team found that while carefully monitoring the natural process, it was possible to unlock a differentiated sweet and light coffee profile with wild fruity notes,” says Frédéric Mestdagh, coffee research manager at Nespresso. 

“We successfully scaled this post-harvesting process to larger quantities to produce this limited-edition coffee, ensuring the same sensorial quality in each cup.”

Nespresso La Cumplida Refinada specialty coffee is produced in small coffee farms of the Matagalpa region in Nicaragua.

Controlling the process
Leveraging its long-standing scientific and technical expertise in fermentation, sensory and flavor analysis, Nestlé scientists gained a deeper understanding of coffee post-harvesting conditions and their impact on the quality of coffee.

“We investigated the microbial ecosystem involved in coffee fermentation and the range of flavor molecules in the coffee beans. This enables us to highlight the flavors that are being naturally produced during fermentation and that are maintained in the final cup,” explains Moccand, who led the research. 

The knowledge will also enable the company to tailor specific fermentation conditions to different coffee varieties. 

“This will allow us to highlight distinct natural flavors and sensorial notes and to consistently maintain their quality while avoiding raw material loss due to uncontrolled fermentation.” 

Premium coffee in demand 
Innova Market Insights has picked up on consumers demanding more high-quality coffee with rich storytelling, including details on its flavor profile and country of origin. 

Last July, Nespresso invested CHF 160 million (US$169.9 million) to expand its Romont production center in Switzerland to meet increasing consumer demand for its premium coffees.