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

Yunnan Coffee Varieties and Catimor Characteristics

Yunnan coffee is dominated by Catimor, a hybrid variety carrying Robusta genes, which makes it quite different from Taiwan's traditional Typica. Curiously, the much-maligned Catimor has taken the top ten places in domestic Yunnan green bean competitions, beating out the rare, high-quality Typica and Geisha. Yunnan Catimor should not 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 that of traditional old varieties.

Important Facts to Consider

1. Although many domestic Q graders have given high scores to Yunnan green beans in competitions, those 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, our understanding is that this too refers to the CQI official website, and historical scores are similarly unavailable. The system holds records of only 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.

So while Catimor can become excellent raw material for instant coffee and blends, prematurely awarding it excessively high scores through domestic Q graders' post-processing cannot put Yunnan coffee on the fast track to specialty coffee.

Catimor Variety Characteristics

Catimor is a high-generation variety with moderately dwarf plants and vigorous growth, and stable secondary characteristics. The terminal buds and young leaves are emerald green, the whole plant carries dark green leaves, and the plant shape is columnar with short internodes and many branches. It adapts widely, is strongly drought resistant and has some cold resistance. Under medium management levels, the average dry bean yield exceeds 200 kg per mu.

Each kilogram of seed 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 and 85% within three months; it 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 some inhibitory effect on longhorn beetles, which mostly lay eggs on exposed branches and trunks. High yield, no significant alternate bearing, excellent quality. This variety has been the main cultivated variety in coffee production since it was first planted.

Catimor CIFC7963 (F6) has been widely promoted and planted across 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: an annual average temperature of 19-21°C; an annual accumulated temperature above 10°C of more than 6800°C; an average temperature in the coldest month above 11.5°C; an absolute minimum temperature above 1°C; monthly average temperature at or below 13°C for more than two months; an extreme minimum temperature generally above 0°C in normal years, with occasional years reaching -1°C or briefly -2°C. Altitude below 1200 meters and annual rainfall of at least 1100mm; preferably fertile loam soil that is loose and well drained, with a pH value of 6-6.5, planted on sunny gentle slopes or terraces with a slope of less than 25°.

The History and Development of Catimor

Catimor is currently an important commercial variety. East Timor was colonized by Portugal for four hundred years, and the Portuguese had early contact with its coffee trees. In 1959, Portugal moved the Bourbon mutant variety Caturra from Brazil to East Timor and hybridized it with Timor, which carries a Robusta bloodline, successfully breeding Catimor with strong disease resistance and productivity. Between 1970 and 1990, leaf rust devastated coffee-producing countries worldwide. With assistance from international organizations, producing countries vigorously promoted Catimor to resist leaf rust and raise productivity. But while Catimor inherited Robusta's strong disease resistance, it also inherited poor flavor genes. Early Catimor was highly productive but required shade trees, otherwise it withered easily - seemingly strong yet actually weak. Over the decades, many botanists have worked on improving Catimor, breeding dozens of new varieties. Colombia is the largest producer; in 1982 it cultivated a Catimor that could be exposed to direct sunlight and named it after the country, "Colombia." Colombia claims that its [Colombia] variety, after multiple generations of crossbreeding, differs from general Catimor. It has become one of the country's two main varieties alongside Caturra, long replacing the weak, disease-prone, low-yield Typica. Most [COE] winners in Colombia, however, are Caturra, while the Robusta-blooded [Colombia] rarely wins awards. The [Supremo] commercial beans Colombia exports in large quantities should be lower-altitude [Colombia] or Caturra, not traditional Typica, which is the main reason [Supremo] flavor grows increasingly bland - but Colombia can no longer cultivate low-yield Typica.

Improving Catimor Quality

To improve Catimor's poor cupping reputation, botanists from many countries in recent years have returned to crossbreeding Arabica with Catimor over multiple generations, trying to reduce the Robusta bloodline while increasing Arabica's elegant flavors. This has produced new-generation Catimor including [CatimorH528], [CatimorH306], and Costa Rica's [CatimorT5175] and [CatimorT8667]. Costa Rica has since 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 continued for many years, Catimor has still not reached the top 30 of international cupping competitions. Its biggest fatal flaw is that it is not inferior when cupped alongside low-altitude Caturra, Catuai or Bourbon beans, but in high-altitude areas its cupping results are significantly inferior to Bourbon, Catuai or Caturra. Whether Catimor can reach elite level remains to be seen. We hope that one day a super Catimor suited to high altitudes can be bred, to the surprise of the specialty coffee world.

Coffee Roasting Basics

The 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 is arguably the most important factor affecting a bean's 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. The beans still retain organic acids, with strong acidity, a light bean color and the smallest size of the three types.

2. Medium Roast

Has three roast levels: Medium Roast, High Roast and City Roast. Bitterness and acidity reach balance and the beans have a darker color.

3. Dark Roast

Similarly has three roast levels: Full City Roast, French Roast and Italian Roast. Sugar browning and caramelization make bitterness strong. The beans appear dark brown and oily, and are the largest of the three roast levels.

According to Teacher Han Huaizong's theory, Catimor beans, because of their Robusta genes, always leave a hint of "devil's aftertaste" in the finish, so they are better suited to medium to dark roasting.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

As the Catimor story shows, a variety's genetics set the ceiling on what a cup can achieve - which is exactly why the Geisha family commands so much attention. For readers curious about the other end of that spectrum, FrontStreet Coffee roasts a full range of Geisha. FrontStreet Boquete Geisha is the ideal introduction: a Panamanian Geisha that delivers the classic orange-blossom honey character, oolong-tea body and delicate fruit acidity that define the variety, at a price that makes it a realistic first taste.

Those ready to go further can explore the FrontStreet Emerald Estate Red Label Gesha, grown at 1600-1800 meters and cupped above 90 points in every lot, or the FrontStreet Grana Estate Geisha, an Ethiopian single-variety coffee from a processing station established in 2014 near the border of Kochere and Gelana Abaya. Sun-dried on raised beds for 14-20 days depending on the weather and roasted medium-light, it shows bright citrus acidity, elegant ginger-lily florals, ripe-fruit sweetness and the refined finish that is the Geisha signature.