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Bolivia Las Alasitas Estate Cocoa Natural Process Caturra Coffee Beans: Flavor Profile, Cultivation History

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Professional coffee knowledge exchange. For more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style). New beans - Origin South America Bolivia coffee beans. With the natural superior environment of the Amazon tropical rainforest, 90% are natural organic coffees. This time we have Las Alasitas estate natural process round beans with good sweetness and delicate, smooth mouthfeel. At the beginning, I

For professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style).

FrontStreet Coffee - Bolivia Alasitas Estate Caturra Coffee Beans

Region: Bolivia, La Paz Caranavi region

Estate: Alasitas Estate

Altitude: 1650m

Variety: Caturra

Processing: Cocoa Natural Processing

Bolivia Coffee

When discussing specialty coffee from Bolivia, one must mention the Rodriguez family (Finca Los Rodriguez). As promoters of local specialty coffee, despite the rapid decline in Bolivia's coffee industry economy and sharp reduction in production in recent years, they have increased investment in estate construction and coffee cultivation to ensure coffee quality and the sustainable development of their coffee business for the future.

The Rodriguez family created the "Sol de la Mañana" (Tomorrow's Sun) program to help coffee farmers improve coffee quality and thereby increase profits. The Rodriguez family provides comprehensive technical guidance in seed selection, cultivation, and harvesting, and has established large processing facilities to help small farmers complete the processing steps. They also provide subsequent sales and export services, greatly improving the enthusiasm and income levels of small farmers, and taking practical action to protect the rapidly declining specialty coffee industry in Bolivia.

Alasitas Estate

Alasitas Estate is named after Bolivia's grand "Alasitas Festival," which originally meant "buy me." This was the prototype of the initial marketplace, where original indigenous people would trade goods in barter exchanges. Here you could find agricultural products, colored round gemstones, or any special items, during which people would "buy" what they wanted. Alasitas gradually evolved into a traditional Aymara festival, where in springtime Bolivia, farmers would worship the Andean deity "Ekeko" (Iqiqu in Aymara language) to pray for bountiful harvests.

La Paz Caranavi Region

Alasitas Estate is located in the Caranavi region, which has unique geographical advantages. It is the central area of the Amazon region, with beautiful natural landscapes and rich species, making it suitable for coffee cultivation. Alasitas Estate leaves harvesting paths between coffee trees, perfectly following orderly circular patterns. From an aerial view, the estate resembles fingerprint-like patterns.

Bolivia's coffee production has always been very limited. The Rodriguez family manages coffee from their own farms while also centrally collecting fresh cherries from small coffee farmers in the Yungas region. By cooperating with small farmers in Caranavi, the estate owner establishes processing stations to process coffee and guides farmers in selectively picking coffee cherries. When high-quality coffee cherries are found, they are processed separately as micro-lots.

Caturra Coffee Variety

FrontStreet Coffee has sourced the Caturra variety from this estate. Caturra is a Bourbon variety, suitable for cultivation from low altitudes of 700 meters to high altitudes of 1800 meters. It has strong altitude adaptability, but higher altitudes produce better flavors with relatively reduced yields.

Caturra and Bourbon look very similar, making them somewhat difficult to distinguish. From appearance, you can see that the end part of the Caturra variety is slightly more curved than Bourbon, with a round and slender appearance being its characteristic feature.

Cocoa Natural Processing

During harvest season, the estate hires coffee pickers who carefully select coffee cherries during picking. These pickers are trained to select only ripe coffee cherries. They conduct multiple rounds of coffee cherry picking during the harvest season to ensure coffee cherries are picked at optimal maturity. After harvesting, coffee cherries are loaded into crates to prevent damage during transport and maintain air circulation, thus preventing unnecessary early fermentation.

After selection and weighing, coffee cherries are carefully washed and placed on raised African drying beds, then turned every hour. After about a week, the coffee cherries are placed in cocoa dryers. The coffee beans are placed in large steel barrels at temperatures not exceeding 40°C for about 35 hours, turned every 30 minutes. After drying, the estate uses machinery for careful coffee hulling and sorting. Additionally, manual sorting under ultraviolet and natural light is required.

FrontStreet Coffee Roasting Recommendations

Start at 160°C with 120 heat and air vent open at 3; return to temperature point at 1'32", when the drum temperature reaches 140°C, open the air vent to 4, keeping heat unchanged; when the drum temperature reaches 154°C, the bean surface turns yellow, grassy aroma completely disappears, entering the dehydration stage. At 8'30", ugly wrinkles and black spots appear on the bean surface, toast aroma clearly transforms into coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to first crack.

When the drum temperature reaches 180°C, reduce heat to 70. At this point, listen carefully for the sound of first crack. At 9'52", first crack begins, adjust air vent to 5. When drum temperature reaches 188°C, reduce heat to 50. Develop for 2'10" after first crack, finish at 196°C.

FrontStreet Coffee Cupping Report

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Experience

Dripper: Hario V60

Dose: 15g

Ratio: 1:15

Grind: Medium-fine (76% retention rate on #20 standard sieve)

Water Temperature: 90°C

This time using segmented brewing, first pour 30g of water for 30s bloom, at which point the coffee expands into a "hamburger" shape. The second segment pours 125g of water in small circles from the center. Pour height is 4cm, with gentle force to minimize layer disturbance, water flow rate at 4g per second. When the water level drops to 1/2 of the coffee bed, start the third segment pour. This segment is also poured gently from center outward in circles until reaching 225g. End extraction when all coffee liquid has dripped through the filter, total time 2'01". After coffee extraction is complete, shake gently to allow the coffee liquid to fully mix before tasting.

Brewing flavors: Fermented acidity, grape juice, raisins, rich aroma, smooth mouthfeel.

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