Alt. 4915 – Costa Rica – Julius Coffee

Julius Coffee is a roaster based out of Quebec Canada. They offer a wide assortment of coffee, each named after the elevation at which the coffee is grown (in feet). I had an opportunity to try a variety of their coffees, but it was this anaerobic processed Costa Rican coffee that stood out as one of the most unique coffees I have ever tried—yes ever.

The three most common processing methods for coffee are washed (where they rinse off the full fruit of the coffee cherry), natural (where they leave the fruit of the cherry on) and honey (a mix between natural and washed where some of the fruit is left on). This coffee uses a relatively new anaerobic (oxygen free) processing method. The fruit of the cherry is washed off and then the coffee is processed in a fully sealed and oxygen deprived fermentation tank (in this case 72 hours). I’ve tried a few fermented coffees recently and they are all extremely unique. That was absolutely the case for this coffee.

The coffee begins with a slightly sweet fragrance of dark chocolate and cinnamon. As soon as water hit the grounds to begin the brew, the coffee erupts with notes of various baking spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice) and apple. It was one of the most pronounced aromas I have ever smelled in a coffee. In the flavor there was more of the same; the apple and baking spices notes were undeniable. It reminded me of apple pie so viscerally I could hardly believe I was drinking coffee.

The acidity was present, but not too dominate. The coffee had a medium body and a sweetness that reminded me of all the autumn sweets (pumpkin spice cake, apple pie, etc.). It was well-balanced, clean and worked in a variety of brew methods (it made a very interesting shot of espresso).

The Bottom Line

Alt. 4915 was one of the most interesting and unique coffees I have ever tried. If you enjoy exploring the wonderful world of coffee and experiencing unique flavor notes in your coffee, this is absolutely one you have to try.