Java Ijen Volcano Lactic Acid

Lactic Fermentation is accomplished by allowing the the growth of lactobacillus cultures on highly sugary coffee cherries for roughly 3 days. The idea is to create a coffee with extra thick mouthfeel, more intense complexity, and a pineapple yogurt aftertaste. 

The whole time, the processor has to monitor sugar levels (Brix reading), moisture levels, and temperature. They have to ensure the coffee doesn't over ferment, spoil, dry out, all of which will create an unbalanced flavor in the coffee. This is the first Lactic Process coffee I've tasted, so I have no context on what is the norm, but I would guess that they didn't quite get this one right. There are topical fruit notes and creamy mouthfeel and almost a sour cream and onion potato chip aftertaste. It's not a home run. The balance just isn't there. It certainly stands off the table though. It's a coffee that doesn't taste like coffee.

You want to keep it as a medium roast, not quite into the second cracks. Roasts darker than this taste charred, but roasts lighter than this have an unpleasant aftertaste. Medium roasts have the best taste and least amount of strangeness. We do find it makes an eye opening shot of espresso. It's also nicer as a coffee that goes through a filter than it is in an unfiltered French Press.  It's pretty easy to roast, just don't take it too dark or too light. 

US Arrival Jan 2022