Hartmann Wine Process Flavor Profile Hartmann Wine Process Coffee Characteristics

Flavor Expectations

Acetic Acid Fermentation: Cleaner, vibrant acidity, brighter acidity, citric acid

Lactic Acid Fermentation: More rounded mouthfeel, slightly less clean than acetic acid fermentation, higher body, malic acid/tartaric acid

Traditional vs. Controlled Fermentation

Previously, processing plants all used traditional, hand-me-down methods, such as biting a coffee bean to gauge the degree of fermentation. That kind of fermentation is uncontrollable and variable.

Controlled fermentation uses pH monitoring to track the degree of fermentation, which delivers predictable results and consistent output from batch to batch.

Hartmann Pour Over Recipe

Hand-poured Hartmann. 15g coffee, medium grind (Fuji ghost tooth grinder #4), V60 dripper, 88-89°C water temperature. First pour 30g of water for a 27-second bloom, then pour to 105g and stop. Wait until the water level drops halfway, then continue pouring slowly until 225g. Avoid the tail section. Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, extraction time 2:00.

Caturra Variety

Caturra is a single-gene mutation of Bourbon, discovered in Brazil in 1937. Both its yield and its disease resistance are better than Bourbon's, and the plant is shorter, which makes harvesting convenient. Unfortunately, like Bourbon, it suffers from biennial production cycles. It is highly adaptable, though: it needs no shade trees and can thrive under direct sunlight, which is why it is called Sun Coffee. It tolerates high-density planting but demands more fertilizer, which raises costs, so farmers were initially slow to accept it.

In the 1970s, though, when coffee prices soared, farmers switched to Caturra to increase production. With strong promotion from Brazilian and Colombian authorities, the results were fruitful. Farmers accepting Caturra meant a major shift in cultivation technique, and Brazil and Colombia moved to high-yield, high-density sun cultivation. By 1990, one million hectares could harvest 14 million bags of coffee beans, lifting production by 60%. Small wonder that high-yield, high-quality Caturra became a variety relied on by producing countries around the world.

Caturra suits planting from low altitudes of 700 meters up to high altitudes of 1700 meters. Its altitude adaptability is strong: the higher the altitude, the better the flavor, but the lower the yield. Such is the fate of specialty beans. Some academics call Caturra the intensive, sun-grown version of Bourbon, which is a perceptive way to put it. There is also a yellow Caturra variant (Caturra Amarello) in Central and South America, though its reputation doesn't match Yellow Bourbon's.

When lightly roasted, Caturra shows an obvious acidic aroma and overall brightness, and with proper processing its sweetness can be expressed very well. Its body is relatively low compared to Bourbon, however, and the cleanliness of the mouthfeel is somewhat lacking.

Usually Caturra has red cherries, but in extremely rare locations there is yellow Caturra, as in Hawaii, where a very small amount of yellow Caturra is grown.

Coffee Information

Country: Panama

Grade: SHG

Region: Volcán Region

Altitude: 1250-1700 Meters

Processing: Wine Process

Variety: Caturra

Estate: Hartmann Estate

Flavor: Smoky wood spices, berries, fruit wine aroma

Panama Hartmann Estate Caturra Wine Process

Hartmann Estate Introduction

Hartmann's story is as legendary as its coffee. Hartmann Estate is located in Santa Clara, Chiriquí Province. Its founder was Mr. Alois St. Hartmann (Luis Hartmann). He was born on June 20, 1891, in the Moravia region of Austria-Hungary, now the Czech Republic, and died on May 25, 1970, at the age of 78.

After World War I began, he was abandoned as a young boy. Thanks to his mother, he managed to hide on a ship bound for Pennsylvania, USA, and survived. His two brothers both died in the war after enlisting. Luis Hartmann traveled with his friends through several countries until he came to Panama in 1911 and settled in Chiriquí Province in 1912, mostly active in the Candel area, where he built the first small cabin in the primeval forest.

Today's Hartmann Estate is a family business founded in 1940 by Ratibor Hartmann, Alois's son. In 1966, Ratibor married Dinora Zúñiga from Costa Rica. They had five children: Ratibor Jr., Allan, Alexander, Alice and Kelly. Each family member takes responsibility for coffee growing management, harvesting, processing and estate tours. A family estate growing coffee for over 100 years is itself a legendary story.

This family business has a state-level cupping laboratory and sample roasting room. They rigorously cup every batch of coffee cherries, which ensures stable quality from Hartmann Estate as they continually seek improvement. Their scientific approach to coffee and nearly 100 years of family experience guarantee their excellent output.

A legendary estate with a state-level cupping laboratory and sample roasting room. A rigorous attitude and strict standards ensure stable coffee quality from Hartmann Estate.

This batch is the wine-processed Caturra variety. From the moment it is ground, it gives off an extremely rich fruit wine aroma, accompanied by fresh smoky wood spice notes and the special berry sweetness from the natural process. Just smelling it is intoxicating. On the palate, rich tropical fruit flavors emerge, like passion fruit, mango, orange and berry juices carefully mixed with a peach wine cocktail. No, this is a cocktail from nature.

Among all the coffee-producing regions on Earth, very few have successfully experimented with wine-like processing methods. After years of testing, this method can finally control the acidity structure in coffee. Coffee fermented through wine-like processing greatly enhances the sweetness, cleanliness and multi-layered, complex yet elegant acidity. This fermentation method greatly improves the quality and uniqueness of the coffee output.

Wine processing is also called controlled fermentation, or lactic/acetic acid fermentation.

The experimental team is led by American Felipe Sardi, made up of biological scientists and ecologists who apply solar energy and other technologies to cultivation and green bean processing.

The specialized hand-picking team has been trained and strictly follows specialty coffee bean picking requirements: unripe cherries < 2%, defective beans < 3%, floaters < 5%.

Fermentation Methods

Acetic Acid Fermentation — Aerobic fermentation

Lactic Acid Fermentation — Anaerobic fermentation

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Caturra was born in Brazil, and Brazil is still the easiest place to see what this variety can do at scale. Brazilian coffee carries a moderate acidity and a fine balance of sweet, bitter and body, which is why it takes so well to a medium roast, filling the cup with nut aroma, a smooth texture and a light acidity, and why it works as a single origin or in a blend. FrontStreet's Brazil Cerrado Red Bourbon, a classic semi-washed single origin from the well-known Cerrado region, shows creamy peanut, toasted bread, caramel and hazelnut at a medium roast, with a rounded, non-acidic cup and a gentle bitter edge, and it brews just as well in a moka pot, espresso SOE, siphon or French press as it does as pour-over.

For something rarer, FrontStreet's Brazil Queen Estate comes from Mogiana, close to South Minas, where fertile red volcanic soil lets the fruit absorb plenty of nutrients and build a full aroma. The estate is split between farms holding to traditional methods and those adopting modern, standardized management, which has lifted local quality considerably. Its variety is the uncommon Yellow Bourbon, a red Bourbon mutation with a cleaner fruit character; through pour-over, moka pot or a home espresso machine it reveals a sugarcane sweetness found in no other region, alongside fruit and chocolate notes.

Brazil's low-acid, balanced character and friendly price have also made it the first choice in many espresso recipes. FrontStreet's Classic Blend with its rich crema, the nutty Premium Blend, the balanced Black Cocoa Blend and the shop-focused Commercial Blend all contain Brazilian coffee. The Brazilian beans contribute chocolate and cream aromas, a gentle sweet-sour-bitter profile and a balance that helps keep extraction stable.