La Azucena – The Reverse Orangutan

Anaerobic processed coffees have been my favorite to explore this year. I’ve tried some that have ranged in flavors from tropical fruit punch to cinnamon apple pie; the flavor profiles have truly been outstanding. For this reason, I was really excited to get to try La Azucena from The Reverse Orangutan, a Colombian coffee that was double fermented with the oxygen-free processing.

La Azucena begins with a sweet, slightly funky fragrance that reminded me of strawberries and red wine. As I began to brew the coffee, I smelled notes of various fruit, subtle citrus and continued sweetness. In the flavor I tasted sweet berry notes that reminded me of a fruit-forward red wine, as well as various, more subtle floral notes. The acidity was crisp & sharp with a light, rounded mouthfeel. The coffee’s profile was quite sweet with a fruit-forward sweetness. The finish was long with lingering sweetness and acidity. There was a slight funkiness throughout that wasn’t astringent, but instead seemed to add complexity to the cup.

The Bottom Line

As with each of the various anaerobic coffees I’ve tried to date, La Azucena was incredibly unique from the rest. It’s sweet, berry-forward, red wine profile supported by the subtle funkiness throughout made for a very unique, yet delicious cup of coffee.