Introduction to Colombia Santa Rita Coffee Growing Region & How to Brew Colombian Coffee

Brewing Notes

Hand-poured Colombia Santa Rita. 15g coffee grounds, medium grind (Fuji ghost tooth grinder #4), V60 dripper, water temperature 88-89°C. First pour 30g water for 27-second bloom, then pour to 105g and pause. Wait until the water level drops halfway, then slowly pour until reaching 225g. Discard the tail section. Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, total extraction time 2:00.

Flavor notes: Sugarcane, clean, medium body.

Colombia: The Land of Coffee

Located in northwestern South America, Colombia is a beautiful country with a long history. From ancient times, indigenous peoples have thrived on this land. It became a Spanish colony in 1531 AD and gained independence in 1819. In 1886, it was renamed Colombia in honor of 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 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 mouthfeel. Among all coffees, it offers the best balance, with a soft, smooth texture that makes it enjoyable anytime. It has earned praise unattainable by other coffees: it's hailed as "green gold."

Caturra Variety

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 and was not cultivated on a large scale. Instead, it became widely popular in Central and South America, with countries like Colombia, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua extensively growing Caturra.

Compared to these botanical characteristics, you might be more concerned about Caturra's flavor profile. The higher the elevation 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 exceptionally well-expressed. However, compared to Bourbon, Caturra has relatively lower body and slightly less clean cup profile.

Typically, Caturra produces red cherries, but in very few regions, yellow Caturra can be found, such as the minimal cultivation of yellow Caturra in Hawaii.

Catuai Variety

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 plant is relatively short compared to other coffee trees. Catuai's cherries grow more compactly and are harder to pick. The fruits come in both red and yellow varieties. To date, no superior flavor has been found in yellow fruits compared to red ones. In fact, some cuppers have discovered that although coffee processed from some yellow fruits has good acidity, the cleanness of the cup profile is inferior to that of red fruits.

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

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: Aromatic and mellow coffee beans
Roast level: Medium roast
Sweetness: Unsweetened
Origin: Colombia
Coffee type: Colombia coffee
Roast degree: Medium roast

Colombia Santa Rita Special Reserve

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

Finca Santa Rita is located in the Antioquia Department of Colombia, situated in a micro-region neighboring 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, 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

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 Caribbean island of Haiti, through Central America's El Salvador.

Another account states that 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 the Santander Department from Venezuela.

A third theory: The earliest record of coffee cultivation in Colombia appears in the book "The Illustrated Orinoco" by Spanish missionary Jose Gumilla. He described his experiences while preaching along both 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