Description
I get flavors of milk chocolate, nuts, and lemon. This is a very complex coffee but with a relatively light body, good acid and a long finish.
The mill has blended lactic processed and naturally processed coffees. Naturals are generally known for fruity and/or nutty flavors, but not for light bodies or for good acid. The lactic portion (about 1/3rd of the blend by my eye) bumps up the acid in the blend which lightens the body, adds to the complexity of the cup and really lengthens the finish.
I’m starting to see a lot of mills experimenting with lactic processes and I think you’ll see a lot more of this in the future. This is a well done blend that really get the most out of its two component parts.
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La Palma & El Tucán is a state-of-the-art coffee farm in Zipacon, Cundinamarca Colombia. It was started by agronomists and professionals looking to create a model for sustainable coffee farming using biodynamic and permaculture practices. Through their Neighbors & Crops program, La Palma purchases coffee from more than 200 coffee growing families within a 10km radius of their farm. The coffee is processed at La Palma’s innovative wet mill using techniques that conserve water and recycle waste back into organic compost.
This lot was processed using Lactic fermentation and honey processing. Lactic fermentation, which is classified as ‘Anaerobic’ as oxygen has minimal interaction with the coffee cherry. Once the cherries arrive at the mill, they are hand sorted and placed in sealed tanks. With no oxygen involved, bacteria feed on carbohydrates present in the mucilage creating a high concentration of lactic acid in the bean and a unique profile of the resulting cup.
Honey processing begins with a pre-fermentation stage of 45 hours at the wet mill. From here, the cherries enter the depulping stage, passing through three stages of quality control before removing a percentage of the skin. During the drying stage, coffee rests in African-style raised beds for over 15 days. Due to the levels of sugar and moisture, the first days are crucial to avoid microbial activity prolongation. Finally, parchment coffee passes through the mechanical drying machines to complete the drying process.
