James Hoffmann's Fermentation Project Is Coming to Canada — and Nucleus Is Part of It

Right now, one of the largest coffee tastings ever organized on a global scale is taking shape. It goes by a simple name: The Fermentation Project. Behind it stands James Hoffmann, arguably the most influential voice in specialty coffee today. And this year, we have news that makes us especially proud: Nucleus is one of the only roasters in Canada taking part.

After participating in the Decaf Project in 2024, securing a spot in this new project was a must for us.

We wanted to be among the first to tell you about it, because the experience ahead is, in our opinion, one of the most formative a coffee lover can have. Here's everything we know so far.

What Is the Fermentation Project?

The Fermentation Project is a coordinated worldwide tasting created by James Hoffmann in collaboration with Lucia Solis, a renowned specialist in fermentation and green coffee processing. The idea is as ambitious as it is clear: take one single lot of coffee, grown in Guatemala, then split it into four micro-lots, each put through a different fermentation process.

Roasters from every corner of the world receive these same four coffees, roast them, and send them to their customers. On a set date, everyone tastes them together while following the guided tasting streamed by James Hoffmann. Tens of thousands of people, across several continents, taste the exact same coffees at the exact same moment.

To give you a sense of the scale: the previous edition, The Decaf Project, sold around 30,000 tasting kits worldwide. The Fermentation Project is shaping up to be even bigger.

One Coffee, Four Fermentations: Why That's So Rare

Fermentation is one of the most decisive — and most misunderstood — steps in coffee processing. It largely shapes the acidity, sweetness, body, and aromas you later find in the cup. The problem is that it's nearly impossible, in real life, to isolate its effect. When you compare two coffees, everything differs at once: origin, variety, altitude, harvest, roaster.

Here, everything else is locked down. Same farm, same lot, same variety, same roaster. Only the fermentation changes. So you get something you could almost never put together on your own: a clean, controlled comparison — four expressions of a single coffee, side by side in the same session.

We also want to be honest about one important point: these aren't "showpiece" fermentations, extreme co-ferments, or flashy experiments. The goal is educational. The chosen processes are rooted in traditional methods, guided with rigor, to reveal what fermentation actually changes — not to mask the coffee under added flavors. This is exactly the kind of precise, reproducible approach we stand for at Nucleus.

Logistically, a project like this is extreme to pull off. That's precisely what makes it exclusive and hard to reproduce. When the opportunity comes around, it really is now or never.

Who's Behind the Project

James Hoffmann is the 2007 World Barista Champion, an author, co-founder of Square Mile Coffee, and one of the most followed content creators in the industry. He's known for making complex technical topics accessible, with clarity and curiosity.

Lucia Solis studied viticulture and enology at the University of California, Davis, specializing in microbiology and fermentation science. After nine years in wine in Napa Valley, she turned to coffee in 2014. Today she works alongside producers in more than fifteen countries, treating processing as a strategic lever to add value, consistency, and control. Her approach blends scientific rigor with practical simplicity — a philosophy that resonates deeply with ours.

I (Louis, owner of Nucleus) am personally a big fan and loyal listener of Lucia's podcast, Making Coffee with Lucia Solis. It's one of the most compelling sources out there for demystifying coffee fermentation and industry innovation from a human angle rather than a marketing one. Very, very aligned with the Nucleus vision.

Nucleus, One of the Few Canadian Roasters Taking Part

This is probably the question many of you will type into Google: is there a Canadian roaster taking part in the Fermentation Project? The answer is yes — and Nucleus is part of that small group.

Based just outside Montreal, in Quebec, we're proud to bring this global project home to the Canadian specialty coffee scene. For our customers across the country, it means direct access — no need to order from abroad — to these four coffees and to the largest collective coffee tasting in the world.

Our Experience with the Decaf Project in 2024

This isn't our first adventure of the kind. In 2024, we took part in the Decaf Project, built on the same concept but focused that time on three decaffeination processes (compared against their caffeinated version). The experience left a mark on us — and you told us it left a mark on you too. Understanding and tasting what a process truly changes is the kind of "aha" moment that sharpens a palate far faster than any amount of reading.

That's exactly why we were eager to jump back in this year. We're going from decaffeination to fermentation, from three processes to four, and taking you one step further into understanding green coffee.

Pre-Order, Tasting, and Shipping: What You Need to Know

Here's where the information stands today. Some details haven't been confirmed by the organizers yet, and we'll update this article as soon as they are.

• Pre-orders: they'll open soon at Nucleus. The best way not to miss them is to sign up for our newsletter.
• Format and price: to be confirmed. We sold through our entire inventory quickly in 2024, which is pushing us to rethink our strategy this year. Our goal will be to make the project accessible to as many coffee lovers as possible.
• Live tasting: planned for early September 2026 (date to be confirmed).
• Shipping: free everywhere in Canada for this project.

FAQ — James Hoffmann's Fermentation Project

What is the Fermentation Project? A worldwide tasting created by James Hoffmann and Lucia Solis, where a single Guatemalan coffee is fermented in four different ways, then roasted by roasters around the world and tasted at the same time by tens of thousands of people.

Is a Canadian roaster taking part in the Fermentation Project? Yes. Nucleus, based near Montreal in Quebec, is one of the few roasters in Canada taking part, making the project accessible to Canadian customers without ordering from abroad.

What's the difference from the Decaf Project? The Decaf Project (2024) compared decaffeination processes. The Fermentation Project (2026) applies the same principle of controlled comparison, but to four fermentation processes on a single coffee.

What does fermentation actually change in coffee? It strongly influences acidity, sweetness, body, and aromatic profile. Because every other factor is identical here, the project lets you isolate and taste that effect precisely.

Are these "funky" coffees or extreme co-ferments? No. The chosen processes rely on carefully controlled methods, with an educational aim: to reveal the fundamentals of fermentation rather than mask the coffee.

Lucia also carries an important message through this project: the potential of fermentation to help standardize lots and equip producers to increase their stability and their income.

How do I pre-order in Canada? Pre-orders will open soon on the Nucleus website. Sign up for our newsletter to be notified first, the moment they go live.

How much does it cost and what's the format? Price and format aren't confirmed yet. We'll update this page as soon as official information is available.

When is the tasting? It's planned for early September 2026, subject to confirmation.

Is shipping included? Shipping is free everywhere in Canada for this project.

Be Part of the Adventure

An opportunity like this doesn't come around twice. Four fermentations, one coffee, a global tasting — and direct access right here in Canada.

Sign up for our newsletter now to be among the first notified when pre-orders open. We can't wait to taste this with you.

This article will be updated as the organizers reveal more details (exact processes, price, format, and final tasting date).