Colombia Santa Rita Washed Specialty Coffee Beans: Varieties, Brand Recommendations, and Estates

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Caturra and Catuai Coffee Varieties

Caturra is a natural variant of the Arabica Bourbon variety, discovered in Brazil in 1937. Its plant is smaller and more compact than Bourbon. Due to its Bourbon heritage, it has relatively weak disease resistance but higher yields than Bourbon. Although discovered in Brazil, Caturra is not well-suited for growing there and thus was not cultivated on a large scale in Brazil. Instead, it became widely popular in Central and South American regions, with countries like Colombia, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua extensively cultivating Caturra.

Compared to these botanical characteristics, you might be more concerned about Caturra's flavor profile. The higher the altitude where Caturra is grown, the better the quality, but correspondingly, the lower the yield. When lightly roasted, Caturra exhibits prominent acidic aromas and overall brightness. With proper processing, its sweetness can be excellent, but the coffee's body is relatively lower compared to Bourbon, and the cleanliness of the mouthfeel is somewhat lacking.

Typically, Caturra produces red cherries, but in very rare regions, there are yellow Caturra varieties. For example, Hawaii cultivates a very small amount of yellow Caturra.

Catuai is a coffee variety created through artificial hybridization of Caturra and Mundo Novo. Catuai has good resistance to natural disasters, particularly wind and rain.

Catuai plants are relatively short. Compared to other coffee trees, Catuai's fruits grow more firmly and are not easy to pick. The fruits come in both red and yellow varieties. To date, no significant flavor advantage has been found in yellow fruits over red ones. In fact, some cupping tests have revealed that while coffee from yellow fruits may have good acidity, the cleanliness of the mouthfeel is inferior to that from red fruits.

Catuai was developed in Brazil and is currently widely grown in Central American regions.

Pour-over Brewing Method

Colombia Santa Rita pour-over method: 15g coffee grounds, medium grind (using Fuji's ghost tooth burr grinder setting 4), V60 dripper, water temperature 88-89°C. First pour 30g water and let bloom for 27 seconds. Continue pouring to 105g, then pause and wait until the water level in the coffee bed drops to half before continuing. Slowly pour until reaching 225g total, avoiding the tail end. Water-to-coffee ratio is 1:15, with a total extraction time of 2:00.

Product Information

Manufacturer: FrontStreet Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee)
Address: No. 10 Bao'an Front Street, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou
Contact: 020-38364473
Ingredients: House-roasted coffee beans
Shelf life: 90 days
Net weight: 227g
Packaging: Bulk
Flavor profile: Rich and mellow
Coffee bean state: Roasted coffee beans
Sugar content: Sugar-free
Origin: Colombia
Coffee type: Colombian coffee
Roast level: Medium roast

Colombia Santa Rita Special Reserve

Country: Colombia

Region: Antioquia Department

Altitude: 1,600-2,100 meters

Processing method: Washed

Hacienda Santa Rita is located in the Antioquia Department of Colombia, situated in a micro-region adjacent to the Andes Mountains. This premium coffee is produced collaboratively by 9 nearby farms. These 9 farms still use traditional methods for coffee processing: hand-picking coffee cherries, then applying traditional washed processing methods, with the processed beans dried on raised beds under the sun. The environment surrounding the Andes Mountains provides this coffee-growing region with fertile volcanic soil and exceptionally abundant water resources.

Varieties: Catuai, Caturra

Estate: Santa Rita

Colombian Coffee History

The history of coffee cultivation in Colombia can be traced back to the Spanish colonial era in the 16th century. There are several accounts about coffee's history in Colombia:

One theory suggests that coffee arrived via water routes from Haiti in the Caribbean Sea, through El Salvador in Central America.

Another theory states that in 1808, a priest first introduced coffee beans to Colombia from the French Antilles via Venezuela. One version suggests that Colombia's first coffee seeds entered through Santander Department from Venezuela.

A third theory states that the earliest record of coffee cultivation in Colombia appears in Spanish missionary Jose Gumilla's book "The Illustrated Orinoca." He described his experiences while evangelizing along both banks of the Meta River in 1730, mentioning local coffee plantations. By 1787, other missionaries had spread coffee to other parts of Colombia.

Flavor profile: Sugarcane sweetness, clean, medium body

Colombia: Coffee Paradise

Located in northwestern South America, Colombia is a beautiful country with a long history. From ancient times, indigenous peoples have lived and thrived on this land. It became a Spanish colony in 1531 and gained independence in 1819. In 1886, it was renamed to its current name in honor of Christopher Columbus, the discoverer of the American continent.

Colombia boasts beautiful mountains and landscapes, pleasant weather that feels like spring year-round, and fresh air. The country is rich in natural resources, with coffee, flowers, gold, and emeralds being celebrated as its "four treasures."

Today, Colombia is the second-largest coffee producer after Brazil, the world's largest exporter of Arabica coffee beans, and the world's largest exporter of washed coffee beans. Colombian coffee is often described as having a silky-smooth mouthfeel. Among all coffees, it has the best balance, with a soft, smooth texture that makes it enjoyable to drink anytime. It has received praise that other coffees cannot match: it is known as "green gold."

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473