Colombia Santa Rita Washed Premium Coffee Beans: Flavor Characteristics, Growing Region and Brewing Parameters

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Coffee Information

Varieties: Catuai, Caturra

Origin: Santa Rita

Flavor: Sugarcane, clean, medium body

The Rich History of Colombian Coffee

The history of coffee cultivation in Colombia reaches back to the Spanish colonial era in the 16th century. Several accounts surround coffee's history in Colombia:

One theory holds that coffee arrived by sea from the Caribbean island of Haiti, through El Salvador in Central America.

Another account states that in 1808 a priest first brought coffee beans to Colombia from the French Antilles by way of Venezuela. One of these routes involved Colombia's first coffee seeds entering through the Santander province from Venezuela.

A third theory holds that the earliest record of coffee cultivation in Colombia appears in The Illustrated Orinoco by the Spanish missionary Jose Gumilla. He described his experiences while preaching along the banks of the Meta River in 1730 and mentioned local coffee plantations. By 1787 other missionaries had spread coffee to other parts of Colombia.

Located in northwestern South America, Colombia is a beautiful country with a rich history. From ancient times, indigenous peoples 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 beautiful mountains, pleasant scenery, a comfortable climate with spring-like weather year-round, and fresh air. The country is rich in natural resources, with coffee, flowers, gold and emeralds celebrated as its "four treasures." Today, Colombia is the second-largest coffee-producing country 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 texture. Among all coffees, it has the best balance, with a mellow, smooth taste that can be enjoyed anytime. It has earned praise unmatched by other coffees, being hailed as "green gold."

Coffee Varieties

Caturra

Caturra is a natural mutation of the Arabica Bourbon variety, discovered in Brazil in 1937. Its plant is shorter and more compact than Bourbon. Because of its Bourbon heritage, it has relatively weak disease resistance but higher yields than Bourbon. Although discovered in Brazil, Caturra is not well suited to growing there, so it was never cultivated on a large scale in Brazil. Instead it became widely popular in Central and South America, with countries such as Colombia, Costa Rica and Nicaragua planting it extensively.

More than its botanical characteristics, people probably care about Caturra's flavor. The higher the elevation at which Caturra is grown, the better its quality, and correspondingly the lower its yield. When lightly roasted, Caturra shows prominent acidic aromas and overall brightness. With proper processing, its sweetness can perform exceptionally well. However, its body is relatively lower than Bourbon's, and its cleanliness is somewhat lacking.

Typically Caturra produces red cherries, but in extremely rare regions there are yellow Caturra varieties. Hawaii, for example, cultivates very small amounts of yellow Caturra.

Catuai

Catuai is a hybrid coffee variety created by artificially crossing Caturra and Mundo Novo. Catuai has good resistance to natural disasters, particularly strong resistance to wind and rain.

The Catuai tree is relatively short, and compared with other coffee trees its 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 with red. In fact, some cuppers have found that although coffee processed from yellow fruit can have good acidity, its flavor cleanliness is inferior to that from red fruit.

Catuai was developed in Brazil and is currently also widely planted in Central America.

Brewing Method

Hand-pour Colombian Santa Rita: 15g of coffee, medium grind (using Fuji's "demon teeth" grinder setting 4) in a V60 dripper, with water at 88-89°C. First pour 30g of water for a 27-second bloom, then pour to 105g and stop. Wait until the water level in the coffee bed drops halfway before continuing to pour, slowly, to a total of 225g. Avoid the tail end. Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, extraction time 2:00.

Product Details

Brand: 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 Province

Altitude: 1600-2100 meters

Processing Method: Washed

Santa Rita Estate is located in Antioquia Province, Colombia, in a micro-production area adjoining the Andes Mountains. This premium coffee is produced through the collaboration of 9 nearby farms. These 9 farms still use traditional methods to process coffee: hand-picking the cherries, then applying traditional washed processing, after which the beans are spread on racks to dry in the sun. The environment surrounding the Andes provides this coffee-growing region with fertile volcanic soil and uniquely advantageous water resources.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

To explore Colombia at its most classically drinkable, FrontStreet Coffee's washed Huila is the natural companion to this Santa Rita lot. Roasted medium-dark, it highlights black chocolate and the sweet fragrance of nuts with a moderate body and a mellow mouthfeel, and it is equally at home in a pour-over, French press, moka pot or espresso machine for an Americano or latte. If Colombia's more inventive side is what you are after, FrontStreet Coffee's Finca La Frontera Sidra uses anaerobic natural processing to draw out passion fruit, grape and apricot notes that shine in a pour-over, cold brew or moka pot.

Colombian beans also supply the dark cocoa bittersweetness at the heart of FrontStreet Coffee's signature espresso blend, balancing Brazilian cream and nut aromas for a rich, smooth latte that suits beginners especially well.