Inside the El Paraiso 92 Sidra: Colombia’s Double Anaerobic Showcase Lot

Meet El Paraiso 92 Sidra, our highest-scoring Showcase Collection lot this year - a rare Colombian varietal taken through double anaerobic fermentation, scoring 91 points.

Every so often a lot comes through that doesn’t behave like a standard green coffee. El Paraiso 92 Sidra, from Colombia, is one of those lots. It scored a 91 in our cupping – the highest of anything in this year’s Showcase Collection – and it’s already down to a handful of boxes.

Flavour Characteristics

  • Aroma: Fresh and vibrant, opening with black tea and coffee blossom
  • In the Cup: Peach, rose water, pepper berry and lemon, reading almost like an iced tea
  • Body: A syrupy sweetness and silky mouthfeel that holds the whole cup together

Why the Sidra Varietal

Sidra is one of the rarest names in specialty coffee, and one of the most disputed. It was first identified at a breeding station in Ecuador’s Pichincha province, and for years was described as a Bourbon x Typica cross. More recent genetic testing has muddied that story – some samples point to Ethiopian landrace ancestry instead, and World Coffee Research itself notes Sidra may not have a single clear genetic identity at all, possibly covering more than one variety that growers simply call by the same name.

What isn’t disputed is what the plant looks like in the field, or what it takes to grow: thick trunks, dense, oversized cherries, and seeds longer and thinner than a typical arabica – closer to Geisha than to Bourbon or Caturra. Like Geisha, it wants shade and a forest-style canopy, it’s more vulnerable to leaf rust, and it yields far less per tree than the varieties most farms are built around. That combination of low yield, high-altitude growing and labour-intensive care is exactly why a genuinely good Sidra lot is rare and priced like it.

It’s also earned a reputation on competition stages, backing multiple World Barista Championship runs. It’s prized for a sweetness and structure that sits apart from the more floral, tea-like character of Geisha, its closest rival for “rare varietal of the moment.”

What “Double Anaerobic” Means

Anaerobic processing means fermenting the coffee cherry in a sealed, oxygen-free tank rather than in the open air. Without oxygen, the fermentation runs slower and along different chemical pathways, and that shift is what produces the wilder, more vivid flavours anaerobic lots are known for. “Double” anaerobic pushes it further again – the cherry goes through two separate fermentation cycles instead of one. It takes real control to get right: push it too far and the coffee turns muddy or vinegary. Done well, as it is here, it produces exactly the layered, floral, fruit-driven cup this lot delivers.

Extremely Limited

Stock is extremely limited and won’t be repeated once it’s gone. If you want to put this in front of your customers, get in touch now to reserve your lot.