Colombia — Julio Madrid & Julio Quiceno La Riviera Sudan Rume (Anaerobic Washed)

Tastes Like — 🍈 Lychee • 🍍 Pineapple • 🌸 Floral • 🍯 Honey • 🍦 Vanilla

DETAILS

• Producer: Julio Madrid & Julio Quiceno
• Farm: La Riviera
• Region: Santa Rosa de Cabal, Risaralda, Colombia
• Varietal: Sudan Rume
• Process: Anaerobic Washed (36hr In-Cherry Fermentation)
• Altitude: 1,750 MASL
• Harvest: September
• Roast: Ultra Light

INTRO

From Julio Madrid and Julio Quiceno at La Riviera — a rare and limited Sudan Rume processed through 36 hours of anaerobic in-cherry fermentation, roasted at an ultra light Agtron #137. La Riviera's commitment to ecological farming and cutting-edge fermentation, applied to one of the rarest and most botanically distinctive Arabica varieties in existence. In the cup: lychee, pineapple, floral, honey, and vanilla — complex, aromatic, and entirely compelling.

THE PRODUCER

La Riviera is a coffee farm in Santa Rosa de Cabal, Risaralda — the ancestral property of the Madrid family, farmed for over forty years and now led by Julio Madrid in partnership with Julio Quiceno, who joined the operation in 2013. Together they have built one of Risaralda's most innovative and ecologically committed processing programmes, combining deep-rooted family tradition with a scientific approach to fermentation that has produced competition-stage lots including the Nitro Watermelon and the Logan and Sakura Gesha expressions from neighbouring Finca Milán. La Riviera sits at 1,750 MASL in the lush volcanic landscape of Santa Rosa de Cabal, where a deep commitment to ecological farming and biodiversity preservation supports both the quality of the coffee and the health of the surrounding ecosystem.

Sudan Rume is among the rarest and most ancient Arabica varieties in cultivation — originating from the border of South Sudan and Ethiopia, it is distinctive for its marked botanical and floral character, associated with jasmine, juniper, white flowers, lemongrass, and eucalyptus. A low-yielding variety within the Bourbon family, it is used primarily in the cultivation of hybrids and rarely appears as a standalone lot. When it does, the results are exceptional — and La Riviera's anaerobic processing elevates Sudan Rume's inherent complexity into something truly extraordinary.

THE PROCESS

The Anaerobic Washed process at La Riviera involves:

🍒 Hand-picking — Sudan Rume cherries selectively harvested at peak ripeness 🔒 36-hour anaerobic in-cherry fermentation — Whole cherries fermented in limited oxygen conditions for 36 hours 🔧 Depulping — Outer skin removed after anaerobic fermentation 💧 Quick channel washing — Parchment coffee washed through channels to remove all remaining residue ☀️ Raised-bed drying — Dried on raised beds to optimal moisture content

The 36-hour anaerobic in-cherry fermentation is the defining step — by fermenting the whole cherry in a limited oxygen environment before depulping, Julio Madrid and Julio Quiceno build the lychee and pineapple tropical complexity and honey and vanilla sweetness that define this lot, while the quick channel washing and raised-bed drying preserve the clean, botanically floral character that is Sudan Rume's most remarkable quality.

THE CUP

A rare and deeply aromatic ultra-light anaerobic washed Sudan Rume from one of Risaralda's most innovative and ecologically committed farm partnerships — lychee and pineapple tropical brightness, a delicate and complex florality, warm honey sweetness, and a vanilla softness in a cup of remarkable rarity and extraordinary aromatic depth.

Flavour Notes

🍈 Lychee 🍍 Pineapple 🌸 Floral 🍯 Honey 🍦 Vanilla