The Story of Catimor Coffee Variety: Cultivation, Scoring, and Performance

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Yunnan Coffee Varieties and Catimor Characteristics

Yunnan coffee varieties are dominated by Catimor, a hybrid variety with Robusta genes, which is quite different from Taiwan's traditional Typica. Interestingly, the notorious Catimor has taken the top ten positions in domestic Yunnan green bean competitions, while the rare but high-quality varieties Typica and Geisha have both been defeated. Yunnan Catimor seems not to be underestimated. According to Ted Lingle, senior consultant at CQI USA, when Catimor is grown at high altitudes above 1500 meters, it can enhance aroma and body, and with appropriate post-processing, its flavor profile can be as impressive as traditional old varieties.

Important Facts to Consider

1. Although many domestic Q graders have given high scores to Yunnan green beans in competitions, these scores cannot actually be queried on the official CQI website.
2. Despite persistent rumors that Catimor was sent to America for scoring and received high marks, based on our understanding, this should also refer to the CQI official website, but historical scores are similarly unavailable. The system only has records of two green bean samples from 2016, scoring 61 and 81.5 points respectively, submitted by YCE.
3. Although there are rumors that the industry has long given specialty scores to Robusta beans, in reality, India uses SCA's R-version for Robusta scoring, which is an independent scoring system for Robusta.

Therefore, while Catimor can become excellent raw material for instant coffee and blending beans, prematurely giving Catimor excessively high scores through post-processing by domestic Q graders cannot put Yunnan coffee on the fast track to specialty coffee.

Catimor Variety Characteristics

Catimor is a high-generation variety with moderately dwarf plants, vigorous growth, stable secondary characteristics, terminal buds and young leaves are emerald green, entire plant has dark green leaves, columnar plant shape, short internodes, many branches, vigorous growth, wide adaptability, strong drought resistance, and certain cold resistance. Under medium management levels, average dry bean yield exceeds 200 kg per mu.

Each kilogram of seeds contains 3,846 seeds after 2 months of sun-drying, and about 5,000 seeds after 5 months of sun-drying. The germination rate is above 95% within two months after seed production, 85% within three months, weakens after three months, and most seeds lose germination ability after six months. Resistance to leaf rust shows sub-immune or extremely resistant types. Its compact plant shape has certain inhibitory effects on longhorn beetles that mostly lay eggs on exposed branches and trunks. High yield, no significant alternate bearing phenomenon, excellent quality. This variety has been the main cultivated variety in coffee production since its planting.

Catimor CIFC7963 (F6) has been widely promoted and planted in Yunnan's coffee-growing areas including Dehong, Baoshan, Pu'er, Xishuangbanna, Lincang, Wenshan, and Yuxi, as well as in Panzhihua, Sichuan Province and neighboring Myanmar, with a total promotion area exceeding 200,000 mu.

Growing Conditions

Ideal conditions include: annual average temperature 19-21°C, annual accumulated temperature ≥10°C greater than 6800°C, average temperature of coldest month >11.5°C, absolute minimum temperature above 1°C, monthly average temperature ≤13°C for more than two months, extreme minimum temperature generally above 0°C in normal years, with occasional years reaching -1°C or briefly -2°C. Altitude below 1200 meters, annual rainfall ≥1100mm; preferably fertile loam soil, loose soil, good drainage, pH value 6-6.5, planted on sunny gentle slopes or terraces with slope less than 25°.

The History and Development of Catimor

Catimor: Currently an important commercial variety. East Timor was colonized by Portugal for four hundred years, and the Portuguese had early contact with East Timor's coffee trees. In 1959, Portuguese moved the Bourbon mutant variety Caturra from Brazil to East Timor and hybridized it with Timor, which has Robusta bloodline, successfully cultivating Catimor with strong disease resistance and productivity. Between 1970 and 1990, leaf rust devastated coffee-producing countries worldwide. With international organization assistance, various producing countries vigorously promoted Catimor to resist leaf rust and increase productivity. However, while Catimor inherited Robusta's strong disease resistance advantages, it also inherited poor flavor genes. Additionally, early Catimor had high productivity but required shade trees, otherwise it would easily wither - seemingly strong but actually weak. Over the decades, many botanists have researched Catimor variety improvement, cultivating dozens of new varieties. Colombia is the largest producer, cultivating Catimor that could be exposed to direct sunlight in 1982, naming it after the country "Colombia." Colombia claims that [Colombia], after multiple generations of crossbreeding, is different from general Catimor. It has become one of the country's two main varieties along with Caturra, long replacing the weak, disease-prone, low-yield Typica. However, most [COE] winners in Colombia are Caturra, while [Colombia] with Robusta bloodline rarely wins awards. [Supermo] commercial beans exported in large quantities from Colombia should be lower-altitude [Colombia] or Caturra, not traditional Typica, which is the main reason why [Supermo] flavor becomes increasingly bland, but Colombia can no longer cultivate low-yield Typica.

Improving Catimor Quality

To improve Catimor's poor cupping reputation, botanists from various countries in recent years have returned to crossbreeding Arabica with Catimor over multiple generations, attempting to reduce Robusta bloodline while increasing Arabica's elegant flavors, thus cultivating new-generation Catimor including [CatimorH528], [CatimorH306], as well as Costa Rica's [CatimorT5175] and [CatimorT8667]. However, Costa Rica has abandoned Catimor cultivation, focusing on Caturra varieties, and exporting improved Catimor to Asian producing countries. There are countless Catimor lines, with different cupping results and habits. Although improvement has been ongoing for many years, Catimor has still not made it into the top 30 of international cupping competitions. Catimor's biggest fatal flaw is that it's not inferior when cupped alongside low-altitude Caturra, Catuai, or Bourbon beans, but its cupping results are significantly inferior to Bourbon, Catuai, or Caturra when planted in high-altitude areas. Whether Catimor can reach the elite level remains to be observed. We hope that one day a super Catimor suitable for high altitudes can be cultivated, shocking the specialty coffee world.

Coffee Roasting Basics

Coffee beans on the market are fragrant and charming, but raw coffee beans have no flavor to speak of. They need high-temperature roasting to cause sugar browning and produce special aromas, so roasting can be said to be the most important factor affecting coffee bean aroma. Roasted coffee beans increase in volume by about 30% and decrease in weight by 18% to 25%.

1. Light Roast

Divided into Light Roast and Cinnamon Roast. Coffee beans still retain organic acids, with strong acidity, light bean color, and are the smallest of the three types.

2. Medium Roast

Has three roasting methods: Medium Roast, High Roast, and City Roast. Bitterness and acidity reach balance, coffee beans have darker color.

3. Dark Roast

Similarly has three roasting methods: Full City Roast, French Roast, and Italian Roast. Due to sugar browning and caramelization, bitterness is strong. Coffee beans appear dark brown and oily, with the largest bean size among the three roast levels.

According to Teacher Han Huaizong's theory, Catimor coffee beans, because of their Robusta genes, always have a bit of "devil's aftertaste" in the finish, so they are more suitable for medium to dark roasting.

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