Perc Coffee
Fermentation is the through line here. Among Perc Coffee's 18 single origins, eight go through anaerobic or extended fermentation and four are washed, which puts fermented lots ahead of the classic method two to one. Three more are naturals, one is honey processed and two use methods that fit no standard label.
The business started in 2010, and its first retail shop opened in Atlanta. It roasts in the South and sells almost entirely single origins. Eighteen of the 20 active coffees are single lots, which leaves blends at 10 percent of the catalog, the narrowest slice of any category on the list. Two coffees are decaf.
Colombia does most of the work on the sourcing side. Ten of the 18 single origins come from there, Ethiopia adds three, Rwanda two, and Brazil, Kenya and Peru contribute one each. That is six countries, but the weighting is lopsided enough that anyone ordering twice will probably drink Colombian coffee both times, processed in a way that the average Colombian cup is not.
Single Origins
| Name | Roast | Tasting Notes | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colombia Oswaldo Toro | Medium | Banana candywhite sugarguava | $37.00 |
| Rwanda Ngoma | Medium Light | plumpaneladried apricot | $28.00 |
| Colombia Nestor Lasso Ombligon | Medium Light | cherrywhite sugarWatermelon Jolly Rancherpeachrocket pop | $39.00 |
Blends
| Name | Roast | Tasting Notes | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ethiopia Tag Team | Medium Light | black plumtropical punchraspberrynectarineblueberrysugar cookie | $60.00 |
| PERC UP | Medium Light | baking spicesbrown sugarSweet orangetoffee | $23.00 |
Roast Profile & Flavor Range
Fourteen of the 20 active coffees are roasted medium-light. Four are medium. One is medium-dark and one is dark, and those two are the whole roasty end of the list, which tells you the roasting is set up to keep fermentation flavors in the cup rather than to cook them off.
Acidity and body both average dead center on the five-point scale. That balance is doing more work than it sounds like, because fermented coffees can arrive either sharp or syrupy and these are being aimed at the middle. Bags at the common 13-ounce size run $23 to $60 with a median of $30, and the range tops out at $60 across all sizes. The high end is where the rare lots sit.
What Perc Coffee Coffees Tend to Taste Like
Fruit leads, and it is loud fruit. Raspberry is the most repeated note at three mentions, with blueberry, black plum, apricot and nectarine each appearing twice, and a note listed plainly as tropical punch turning up on two coffees. That last one is a good summary of what fermentation does to a cup.
Sugar comes second. Brown sugar is named on three coffees, with sugar cookie, toffee and cocoa each on two, and baking spices on one. Read the list top to bottom and the pattern is berry and stone fruit sitting on a bakery base, with cocoa in a supporting role rather than a lead. Nothing here reads as savory, herbal or earthy.
Why Buy Perc Coffee
Fermentation as house style: Eight of 18 single origins are anaerobic or extended ferment, twice the washed count.
Single origins, almost only: Blends hold 10 percent of the catalog, so nearly everything on the shelf is one lot.
Roasting stays out of the way: Fourteen of 20 coffees land medium-light, with one dark coffee on the whole list.
A Colombian spine: Ten of 18 single lots come from Colombia, enough that the country reads as a house project rather than a stop on the map.
Is Perc Coffee Right for You?
This catalog rewards the drinker who wants processing to be obvious. Eight of 18 single origins are fermented, 14 of 20 coffees are roasted medium-light, and the tasting notes run to raspberry and tropical punch, so the fruit shows up before anything else does.
Skip it if you want a clean washed cup as your daily. Four washed lots out of 18 is a short list. Dark roast drinkers have one option in the entire catalog. The price is the other consideration, since a $30 median for 13 ounces makes this a considered purchase rather than a pantry staple.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Perc Coffee located?
Perc Coffee is a specialty coffee roaster based in Savannah, GA.
What does Perc Coffee specialize in?
Fourteen of the 20 active coffees are roasted medium-light. Four are medium. One is medium-dark and one is dark, and those two are the whole roasty end of the list, which tells you the roasting is set up to keep fermentation flavors in the cup rather than to cook them off.
Where can I buy Perc Coffee coffee?
You can browse Perc Coffee's coffees on CoffeeByMe and click through to buy directly from the roaster, or visit Perc Coffee's own website.
