Colombia Santa Rita Washed Specialty Coffee Beans: Grading, Pricing, Raw Beans and Roast Level

For professional barista communication, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account: cafe_style)

Flavor Profile

Sugarcane, clean, medium body

Colombia: The Land of Coffee Excellence

Located in northwestern South America, Colombia is a beautiful country with a rich history. From ancient times, indigenous peoples have thrived on this land. It became a Spanish colony in 1531 and gained independence in 1819. In 1886, it adopted its current name to honor Christopher Columbus, the discoverer of the American continent. Colombia boasts magnificent mountains, beautiful scenery, pleasant weather, spring-like seasons year-round, and fresh air. The country is rich in natural resources, with coffee, flowers, gold, and emeralds known as the "four treasures." Today, Colombia ranks as the second-largest coffee producer after Brazil, the world's largest exporter of Arabica coffee beans, and the largest exporter of washed coffee beans. Colombian coffee is often described as having silky smooth texture. Among all coffees, it offers the best balance, with a soft and smooth mouthfeel that makes it perfect for any time of day. It has earned praise unmatched by other coffees: it's known as "green gold."

Caturra: A Natural Bourbon Variation

Caturra is a natural variation of the Arabica Bourbon variety, discovered in Brazil in 1937. Its plant is shorter and smaller 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 wasn't cultivated on a large scale in Brazil. Instead, it became widely popular in Central and South America, with countries like Colombia, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua extensively cultivating Caturra.

Caturra Flavor Characteristics

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

Typically, Caturra produces red cherries, but in extremely rare regions, there are yellow Caturra varieties. For example, Hawaii grows very small quantities of yellow Caturra.

Catuai: A Hybrid Variety

Catuai is a coffee variety that is an artificial hybrid of Caturra and Mundo Novo. Catuai has good resistance to natural disasters, particularly wind and rain.

The Catuai plant is relatively short. Compared to other coffee trees, Catuai's fruit grows more firmly and is harder to pick. The fruit comes in both red and yellow varieties. To date, no superior flavor has been found in yellow fruit compared to red fruit. In fact, some cuppers have discovered that although coffee processed from some yellow fruits has good acidity, the cleanliness of the mouthfeel is inferior to that of red fruit.

Catuai was developed in Brazil and is now also widely grown in Central America.

Brewing Method: Pour-over Colombia Santa Rita

15g coffee grounds, medium grind (Fuji Royal hand grinder with ghost teeth burrs #4), V60 dripper, water temperature 88-89°C. First pour 30g water for a 27-second bloom, then pour to 105g and pause. Wait until the water level in the bed drops to halfway, then slowly pour until reaching 225g. Avoid the tail section. Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, extraction time 2:00.

Product Information

Manufacturer: FrontStreet Coffee
Address: No. 10 Bao'an Front Street, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou
Contact: 020-38364473
Ingredients: In-house roasted
Shelf Life: 90 days
Net Weight: 227g
Packaging: Bulk
Taste: Mellow and aromatic
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

Santa Rita Estate is located in Colombia's Antioquia Department, situated in a micro-region adjacent to the Andes Mountains. This premium coffee is produced through the collaboration of 9 nearby farms. These 9 farms still use traditional methods to process their coffee: hand-picking coffee cherries, then applying traditional washed processing methods, with the processed beans laid out on racks to sun-dry. The environment surrounding the Andes Mountains provides this coffee-growing region with fertile volcanic soil and unique water resources.

Varieties: Catuai, Caturra
Estate: Santa Rita

The History of Colombian Coffee

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

First account: It is said to have been introduced by water routes from Haiti in the Caribbean Sea, via El Salvador in Central America.

Second account: 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 Province from Venezuela.

Third account: The earliest record of coffee cultivation in Colombia appears in Spanish missionary Jose Gumilla's book "The Illustrated Orinoca." He described his experiences while preaching along the banks of the Meta River in 1730, mentioning local coffee plantations. By 1787, other missionaries had spread coffee to other parts of Colombia.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473