Colombia Gladys Cruz Lactic Process – Oddly Correct

Oddly Correct is a roaster located in Kansas City, Missouri. I had the chance to visit them on a recent trip there. I tried this coffee via pour over while I was there and enjoyed it so much I purchased a bag, so I could experiment with it more at home.

The lactic fermentation process is what initially drew me to the coffee. It is an experimental process that only a few farms in the world can do (read more about the technique at the bottom of this post). At the end of the day though, the processing doesn’t matter except in how it effects the final taste of the coffee. In all honesty, I don’t think there was anything in particular in the taste or profile of the cup that seems distinctive to the processing (in other words, I’ve had other coffees with similar complexity, flavor notes, etc.). That doesn’t mean the end result wasn’t impressive though—it was.

The coffee begins with a nice fruity/berry aroma that carries into the flavor. I tasted notes of blackberry, as well as more mild roasty/nutty notes. The fruit notes became even more pronounced and complex as the coffee cooled, which is always my favorite. It had a wonderful acidity that was like biting into an apple. The only issue I had with the coffee was the aftertaste, which left my mouth feeling a bit dry.

The Bottom Line

This is an excellent, complex cup with a lot to offer. It’s one of my favorite Central American options I’ve had recently and one well worth trying.

La Palma’s Lactic Fermentation method

“This coffee was processed using La Palma’s Lactic Fermentation method. A kind of subcategory of washed coffees, Lactic Fermentation coffees are processed in the traditional washed method but placed in conditions that will specifically allow Lactobacillus to be prominently present. A method engineered by our friends at La Palma y El Tucan in Colombia, high concentrations of the bacteria are achieved through keeping high temperature, low pH and limiting the availability of oxygen. The result is the production of lactic acid as a byproduct of fermentation, which has unique effects on the flavor of the coffee.” —via Oddly Correct’s website (https://oddlycorrect.com/shop/colombia-gladys-cruz-lactic-process)