Is Colombian Santa Rita Coffee Delicious? How to Make Colombian Coffee

Coffee Information

Varieties: Catuai, Caturra

Estate: Santa Rita

The History of Colombian Coffee

Coffee cultivation in Colombia can be traced back to the Spanish colonial era in the 16th century. Several accounts exist regarding its arrival:

First account: Coffee is said to have been introduced via water routes from Haiti in the Caribbean Sea, through El Salvador in Central America.

Second account: In 1808, a priest first introduced coffee beans to Colombia from the French Antilles via Venezuela. One version holds that Colombia's first batch of coffee seeds entered through Santander Province from Venezuela.

Third account: The earliest records of coffee cultivation in Colombia appear in "The Illustrated Orinoca" 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.

Brewing Instructions

Hand-poured Colombian Santa Rita: 15g of coffee grounds, medium grind (Fuji ghost tooth grinder #4), V60 dripper, water at 88-89°C. First pour 30g of water for a 27-second bloom, then pour to 105g and pause. Wait until the water level in the coffee bed drops to half, then continue pouring slowly until reaching 225g. Discard 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 long history. From ancient times, indigenous peoples 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 beautiful mountains, pleasant scenery, a 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 texture. Among all coffees, it has the best balance, with a soft, smooth mouthfeel that can be enjoyed anytime. It has earned praise unmatched by other coffees: it is known as "green gold."

Coffee Varieties

Caturra

Caturra is a natural variant of the Arabica Bourbon variety, discovered in Brazil in 1937. Its plant is shorter and more compact than Bourbon. Although it inherits Bourbon's lineage, which makes it relatively weak in disease resistance, its yield is higher than Bourbon's. Despite being discovered in Brazil, Caturra is not well-suited to growing 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 important than these botanical traits is Caturra's flavor. The higher the altitude where it is grown, the better the quality, but correspondingly the lower the yield. When lightly roasted, Caturra shows distinct acidic aromas and overall brightness. With proper processing, its sweetness can be excellent, but its body is relatively low compared with Bourbon, and its mouthfeel cleanliness is somewhat lacking.

Caturra typically produces red cherries, but in very rare regions there are yellow Caturra varieties. Hawaii, for instance, grows very small quantities of yellow Caturra.

Catuai

Catuai is a variety artificially hybridized from Caturra and Mundo Novo. It has good resistance to natural disasters, particularly wind and rain.

Catuai plants are relatively short. Compared with other coffee trees, Catuai's fruit grows more firmly and is difficult to pick. The fruit comes in both red and yellow varieties. To date, no flavor difference has been found between yellow and red fruit. In fact, some cuppers have found that although coffee processed from yellow fruit can have good acidity, its mouthfeel cleanliness is worse than that of red fruit.

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

Product Information

Manufacturer: FrontStreet Coffee
Ingredients: In-house roasted
Shelf Life: 90 days
Net Weight: 227g
Packaging: Bulk
Taste: Aromatic coffee
Roast Level: Roasted coffee beans
Sugar Content: Sugar-free
Origin: Colombia
Coffee Type: Colombian coffee
Roast Degree: Medium roast

Colombia Santa Rita Special Reserve

Country: Colombia

Region: Antioquia Department

Altitude: 1600-2100 meters

Processing Method: Washed

Santa Rita Estate is located in the Antioquia Department of Colombia, in a micro-production region 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 the cherries, then applying traditional washed processing, with the processed beans laid out on racks to sun-dry. The environment around the Andes provides this coffee-growing region with fertile volcanic soil and uniquely advantageous water resources.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If you enjoy Colombia's clean, well-balanced cup, FrontStreet Coffee's Colombia Huila is the natural next step. Grown above 1,500 meters in the country's most famous specialty region, it is roasted medium-dark to highlight black chocolate, nutty sweetness, moderate oils and a full body, and it works just as well in a pour-over as it does in a moka pot or espresso machine for Americanos and lattes.

For a more modern, fruit-driven Colombian, try FrontStreet Coffee's Colombia Frontera Estate Sidra, processed as an anaerobic natural. The oxygen-free fermentation converts into richer tropical fruit aromas, and with a medium-light roast it offers passion fruit, grape, apricot and dried fruit notes in pour-over, cold brew or drip bags.