How to Properly Enjoy Santa Rita Coffee Colombia Coffee Bean Prices

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Estate: Santa Rita

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

One theory holds that coffee was introduced by sea routes from Haiti in the Caribbean, passing through El Salvador in Central America.

Another account states that in 1808 a priest first brought coffee beans to Colombia from the French Antilles via Venezuela. One of these early introductions was Colombia's first batch of coffee seeds, which entered through Santander Province from Venezuela.

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

Hand-poured Colombia Santa Rita

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 for a 27-second bloom, then pour to 105g and stop. Wait until the water level in the coffee bed drops to half, then continue pouring slowly until reaching 225g total. Avoid the tail end. Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, extraction time 2:00.

Flavor: Sugarcane, clean, medium body

Colombia: The Land of Coffee

Located in northwestern South America, Colombia is a beautiful country with a rich history. Since ancient times, indigenous people 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, lovely scenery, pleasant weather, spring-like conditions 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 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 texture. Among all coffees it has the best balance, with a mellow, smooth taste that makes it enjoyable at any time. It has earned praise unmatched by other coffees and is known as "green gold."

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. While inheriting Bourbon's lineage, it has relatively weak disease resistance but higher yields than Bourbon. Although it was discovered in Brazil, Caturra does not grow well there and was never cultivated on a large scale. Instead, it became widely popular in Central and South America, with extensive cultivation in countries such as Colombia, Costa Rica and Nicaragua.

More relevant than these botanical traits is Caturra's flavor. The higher the altitude at which Caturra is grown, the better the quality, but the lower the yield. When lightly roasted, Caturra shows prominent acidic aromas and overall brightness. With proper processing, its sweetness can be expressed exceptionally well. Its body, however, is relatively lighter than Bourbon's, and it somewhat lacks cleanliness in the cup.

Typically Caturra produces red cherries, but in very rare regions there is also yellow Caturra. Hawaii, for example, grows very small amounts of yellow Caturra.

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

Catuai plants are relatively small. Compared with other coffee trees, Catuai's fruit sets 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 coffees processed from some yellow fruit have good acidity, their cup cleanliness is inferior to those from red fruit.

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

Product Information

Manufacturer: FrontStreet Coffee
Address: No. 10 Bao'an Front Street, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou
Contact: 020-38364473
Ingredients: House-roasted
Shelf Life: 90 days
Net Weight: 227g
Packaging: Bulk
Taste: Aromatic coffee beans
Roast Level: Roasted coffee beans
Sugar Content: Sugar-free
Origin: Colombia
Coffee Type: Colombia coffee
Roast Degree: Medium roast

Colombia Santa Rita Special Reserve

Country: Colombia
Region: Antioquia Department
Altitude: 1600-2100 meters
Processing: Washed

Santa Rita Estate is located in the Antioquia Department of Colombia, in a micro-production zone 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 the cherries, then applying traditional washed processing, with the processed beans dried on raised beds in the sun. The environment surrounding the Andes gives this growing region fertile volcanic soil and exceptionally abundant water resources.

Varieties: Catuai, Caturra

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Colombia is one of the few single origins sold under a country's name, and its versatility is part of the appeal: it works equally well in an espresso blend and as a pour-over single origin, covering fruity, full-bodied and aroma-forward styles. FrontStreet Coffee's Huila Colombia comes from Huila Province in the southern Central Cordillera, the country's most famous specialty region. The growing altitude there is above 1,500 meters, and Colombia's most important rivers converge in this hill country surrounded by mountains, bringing abundant water and humidity. FrontStreet Coffee roasts it medium-dark to foreground black chocolate and nutty sweetness, moderate oils and a full body. It suits pour-over and French press, and it also extracts beautifully in a moka pot or espresso machine for an Americano or latte.

For something more modern, FrontStreet Coffee's Finca La Divisoria Sidra shows how far Colombia has moved beyond washed processing. Anaerobic fermentation — also called carbonic maceration — creates a low-oxygen or oxygen-free environment where temperature, time and pH can be controlled, and this coffee uses an anaerobic natural process that converts the fruit into richer tropical aromas. Roasted medium-light, it can be brewed as pour-over, cold brew, drip bag or moka pot, delivering complex passion fruit, grape, apricot and dried-fruit notes.

If you keep a home espresso machine or a moka pot, FrontStreet Coffee's Specialty Blend is built for the job. It pairs the creamy nut character of Brazil with Colombia's dark chocolate bittersweetness, pulling a fine golden crema that is rich and smooth with milk in a latte — a beginner-friendly base that also works for Americano, cappuccino and mocha.