I have been enjoying the heck out of the Onyx Coffee Lab microlot samples from Colombia. All of these lots were processed by the amazing La Palma y El Tucan and all the samples Onyx sent me have been consistently delicious coffees! Today’s review is coffee from Jaime Gamez’s farm, Tres Esquinas, located in the La Mesa region of Colombia.
Like several of the other La Palma lots, this is a mixed varietal washed coffee that underwent lactic fermentation. Jaime’s farm is at 1600masl and Onyx’s description of this coffee includes, “green apple, plantain syrup and watermelon” and it retails for $22/bag.
The dry grounds on this coffee smelled a lot like a natural to me, with juicy, fruity notes containing a hint of ferment. This coffee has that awesome lactic sourness I have loved in the other lactic fermentation coffee lots from La Palma while the sweetness is more sugary on this one than it was in the others.
I get hints of green apple (probably from malic acid) at the front of the sip and then that delightful lactic character washes over my tongue, followed by a sweet watermelon finish and aftertaste that lingers at the very back of my palate and even into my throat. The body on this coffee is a bit lighter than it was on some of the other La Palma samples from Onyx, but it’s super juicy and sweet and I love this one!
This is another killer coffee from Onyx and it’s a super easy drinker. Don’t get turned off by my description of “lactic sourness.” It’s super-delicious and if you’ve ever enjoyed a Berliner Weiss beer that contains lactic acid you know how refreshing and light it is! I am going to be very, very sad when my Onyx/La Palma samples are finished up.