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 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 was introduced by sea from the island of Haiti in the Caribbean, through El Salvador in Central America.

Another account states that in 1808, a priest first introduced coffee beans to Colombia from the French Antilles via 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 appeared in the book "The Illustrated Orinoca" by Spanish missionary Jose Gumilla. 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.

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, comfortable climate, spring-like weather year-round, and fresh air. The country is rich in natural resources, with coffee, flowers, gold, and emeralds being celebrated as the "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 and 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 variation of the Arabica Bourbon variety, discovered in Brazil in 1937. Its plant is shorter 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, so it 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 planting Caturra.

Compared to these botanical characteristics, people are probably more concerned with Caturra's flavor. The higher the elevation where Caturra is grown, the better its quality, but correspondingly lower its yield. When lightly roasted, Caturra exhibits prominent acidic aromas and overall brightness. With proper processing, its sweetness can perform exceptionally well. However, its body is relatively lower compared to Bourbon, and its cleanliness is somewhat lacking.

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

Catuai

Catuai is a hybrid coffee variety created by人工 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 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 people have discovered in cupping 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-poured Colombian Santa Rita: 15g of coffee, medium grind (using Fuji's "demon teeth" grinder setting 4), V60 dripper, water temperature 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 to halfway before continuing to pour. Slowly pour until reaching 225g total. 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, situated in a micro-production area 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 coffee: hand-picking coffee cherries, then applying traditional washed processing to the coffee fruit, after which the processed beans are spread on racks to dry in the sun. The environment surrounding the Andes Mountains provides this coffee-growing region with fertile volcanic soil and uniquely advantageous water resources.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473