Apricot OD is a Colombian Specialty Coffee from Quindío, produced using a fermentation process called Osmotic Dehydration with real apricots. The result: a clean, sweet coffee with an intense apricot note, delicate floral depth, and a syrupy body.

In December 2025, I visited Finca La Sirena and tasted the current lots from Sens Coffee — the producer brand of Juan Puerta and Geraldine — which are now roasted at Garza Coffee in Berlin. In this article, I'll tell you how this coffee is made, why it tastes the way it does, and how best to prepare it.

Apricot OD at a Glance

Before we dive into the story, here are the technical details of the coffee:

• Producers: Juan Puerta & Geraldine, Sens Coffee
• Finca: La Sirena, Armenia, Quindío, Colombia
• Altitude: 1,420 meters above sea level
• Variety: Castillo
• Processing: Honey Process with Osmotic Dehydration (real apricot juice)
• SCA Score: 86.5 points
• Aromas: Peach, white chocolate, vanilla, waffle cookie, floral notes
• Roast Level: Light Roast — developed for filter
• Recommended Preparation: Filter (V60, Origami, Chemex). As espresso, only possible with a precise machine (see below).

Armenia, Quindío — The Heart of the Colombian Coffee Belt

Armenia is the capital of the department of Quindío and lies in the heart of the so-called Eje Cafetero — Colombia's Coffee Belt, which has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2011. The region has been one of Latin America's most important coffee-growing areas for over a hundred years.

What makes this region special is the combination of volcanic soils from the Central Cordillera, an altitude between 1,400 and 2,000 meters, and a tropical microclimate with daily rain and sun cycles. These conditions slow down the ripening of the coffee cherries — precisely what is needed for high-quality Specialty Coffee.

Here, coffee is not just a product, but part of the identity. You can feel it in the streets, in the city's cafés, and especially in the way coffee is grown and processed. The quality of production is exceptional — precise, clean, and consistent.

Finca La Sirena — Juan Puerta, Geraldine, and the Sens Coffee Project

Finca La Sirena is located near Armenia, in the department of Quindío, on 23 hectares of nutrient-rich soil at 1,420 meters above sea level. It is the heart of the work of Sens Coffee — the producer brand of the Puerta family.

Juan David Puerta had already gained many years of experience in Colombian coffee before developing his own processing method in 2021, after intensive experiments with fermentation, which provided him with consistent cup profiles. This work led to the creation of Sens Coffee, his own brand as a producer. Today, he works with Geraldine on the lots that have made their finca internationally known.

Only the Castillo variety is grown at Finca La Sirena. With this single variety and their different fermentation approaches, Juan and Geraldine develop a whole range of very distinct profiles. Three coffees from the Sens Coffee project can be found at Garza Coffee: the Apricot OD (the subject of this article), the Azahar OD, where coffee cherries and coffee blossoms from the same finca are co-fermented, and the Spice Cosmic, which was awarded Exotic Coffee of the Year in Quindío in 2025 — the first coffee Geraldine developed independently.

Each of these three coffees tells a different story, but all arise from the same philosophy: real fruits, precise control, and the conviction that fermentation is a sensory tool — not a substitute for quality.

Osmotic Dehydration — The Processing Method Behind Apricot OD

Osmotic Dehydration (short: OD) is a fermentation process in which water is selectively drawn from coffee cherries using a concentrated sugar solution, while flavor compounds from a second fruit are simultaneously transferred into the coffee. In the case of Apricot OD, this second fruit is real apricot.

Here's how the process works at Finca La Sirena:

1. Only the ripest coffee cherries are hand-selected.
2. The cherries are placed in sealed tanks. During the first 12 hours, they release their own juice — called mosto in Colombia.
3. This mosto is drained from the tank and mixed with a carefully balanced blend: glucose syrup and real apricot juice.
4. The Brix value (the sugar concentration of the solution) is precisely adjusted to ensure the osmotic effect works.
5. The mixture is returned to the tank with the cherries. The tanks remain sealed for another 28 hours.
6. After that, the coffee is de-pulped, rinsed with a small amount of water, and prepared for drying.

In total, the fermentation takes about 40 hours — significantly longer and more controlled than traditional processing methods. Drying occurs in two stages: first in a mechanical silo to cleanly stop the fermentation, then on so-called elbas — covered drying beds with direct sunlight — until a residual moisture content of about 11% is reached. The entire drying process takes 5 to 7 days. After drying, the coffee is stored in the warehouse for at least 15 days to stabilize.

Technically, OD is closely related to Co-Fermentation, but differs in one crucial aspect: the sugar system allows flavor compounds to be incorporated into the coffee more precisely and controlled. The result is a coffee with a clearly defined fruit character — yet a clean cup.

Important for buyers in Germany: Apricot OD is not flavored coffee. No flavorings are applied to the roasted beans. The taste is created exclusively during fermentation, through the exchange between coffee cherry and real apricot juice.

The Castillo Variety

Apricot OD is produced from the Castillo variety — a Colombian hybrid developed by the national research center Cenicafé in the 1980s. Its main characteristic: natural resistance to coffee rust (la roya), which threatens many traditional varieties in Colombia.

Castillo was long considered a "productive" but sensorially unexciting variety. In recent years, this perception has changed: with precise processing and selective harvesting, Castillo can develop extraordinarily complex profiles. Especially in combination with fermentation methods like Osmotic Dehydration, the variety shows a remarkable ability to absorb fruity aromas and clearly reproduce them in the cup.

Unlike more exotic varieties like SL28 or Geisha, Castillo's strength lies not in the aromatic individuality of the green coffee itself, but in its reliability and clarity — properties that combine excellently with precise fermentation. At Finca La Sirena, Juan and Geraldine work exclusively with Castillo: one variety, three very different coffees. This is precisely why Castillo works so well in Apricot OD.

Apricot OD in the Cup — Aroma, Sweetness, Acidity

On the nose, Apricot OD opens with peach in the foreground, supported by white chocolate, vanilla, a delicate floral layer, and a characteristic note of waffle cookie. Those who hear the name and expect raw apricot will be surprised: the aromatic center is closer to ripe peach than to classic apricot compote — an intended effect of the fermentation, even though real apricot juice is used in the process.

In terms of taste, white chocolate takes center stage, followed by vanilla ice cream and peach tea. The sweetness is pronounced and long-lasting on the palate. The acidity is delicate and central, with a clear malic (apple-like) character — it structures the profile without dominating it. The body is medium and balanced, the finish aromatic and sweet.

With 86.5 SCA points, Apricot OD is clearly in the Specialty range (Specialty starts at 80 points) — and with its profile, it is one of the most accessible experimental coffees I roast in Berlin: intense, but not overpowering, aromatic, but not perfumed.

In direct comparison to a single-origin, washed SL28 from Valle del Cauca — which works with a clear, almost crystalline acidity and subtle cherry aromas — Apricot OD plays in a different league. Not better, not worse. Just a different language.

Preparation — Filter or Espresso?

Apricot OD is a light roast, primarily developed for filter preparation. As an espresso, it's possible, but only on precise machines — more on that in a moment.

Filter (V60, Origami, Chemex) — the recommended method:

• Ratio: 1:16 to 1:17 (e.g., 15g coffee to 250g water)
• Grind size: medium to medium-fine
• Water temperature: 92–94 °C
• Total time: 2:30 – 3:30 minutes
• Note: Too hot an extraction will overpower the floral notes. It's better to brew a little cooler.

Espresso — with reservations:

Light roasts are denser than dark roasts, dissolve less easily in water, and are sensitive to temperature and pressure fluctuations. This has two consequences. First: Not every machine is suitable. Second: The result tastes different from a classic Italian espresso.

Requirements:

• Espresso machine with stable temperature control (PID recommended, e.g., Rocket, Lelit, ECM, La Marzocco, Profitec)
• Possibility of pre-infusion (5–10 seconds)
• High-quality grinder that grinds finely and evenly

Not suitable: Capsule machines, Moka pots, portafilter machines without temperature control, and most entry-level automatic coffee machines. For these devices, medium to dark roasts are the right choice — a light roast would taste sour and unbalanced here.

Parameters for suitable machines:

• Ratio: 1:3 to 1:3.5 (e.g., 18g in, 54–63g out)
• Brewing temperature: 93–95 °C
• Time: 32–40 seconds (with pre-infusion)
• Grind size: finer than for a dark roast

What to expect: an acidic, fruity espresso — more apricot and sweetness than Italian density. Those accustomed to the classic, chocolatey-bitter espresso cup will find something completely different here. This is intentional and, for some coffee drinkers, precisely the reason to try light roasts as espresso. For others, it's simply not the right brewing method.

If you have only brewed washed coffees in a filter so far: Expect a slightly different dynamic with Apricot OD. The sweetness builds up later, and the aroma only fully develops once the coffee has cooled slightly — so give it two to three minutes in the cup before you judge.

What's Behind a Microlot Like Apricot OD

A microlot like Apricot OD is not produced industrially. Only the ripest cherries are hand-selected and placed in sealed tanks. Twelve hours later, the resulting juice (the mosto) is drained, supplemented with glucose syrup and real apricot juice, precisely adjusted to the correct Brix, and returned to the tank. Another 28 hours of sealed fermentation, then de-pulping, mechanical stopping in the silo, several days of sun-drying on elbas, and at least 15 days of rest in the warehouse.

Added to this is roasting in small batches in Berlin to preserve the aroma profile, and a direct relationship with the producer. €18 for 250g is the result of this work — not a margin decision.