Colombia Cauca Valley Caicedonia | The Flavor Profile of Sudan Rume RS-510 Variety Exclusive Competition Beans

Colombia Caicedonia, Cauca Valley | Sudan Rume RS-510 Variety Exclusive Competition Bean Flavor?

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What Exactly is Sudan Rume?

Discovered in 1942 in the Boma Plateau region of southeastern Sudan, very close to the Ethiopian border, Sudan Rume is also known in the coffee world by the code RS-510. It is essentially a wild coffee variety native to the African tropical forests of the Marsabit mountain range, characterized by bronze-colored leaves. When breeding experts need to create new coffee varieties, RS-510 can fairly be called the most useful Arabica genetic source. For example, when genes from high-yield but poor-flavor varieties are crossed with RS-510, the result is usually a variety with good flavor and better yield, because RS-510's flavor is extremely stunning while its disease resistance is average and its yield very low. Crossing RS-510 with hardier varieties gives coffee farmers hybrids that are high-yielding, disease-resistant and worth drinking. Many well-known modern varieties, such as Castillo, Centroamericano and Colombia, were developed using this technique.

Challenges and Cultivation

Sudan Rume itself, however, is difficult to promote for cultivation because of its low yield and small bean size, and most farms are unwilling to plant it. That is why, before Sasa, few people had heard of this variety. The Sudan Rume Sasa used came from Las Nubes estate in Colombia, in the Cauca Valley, and the lot he brought to the world competition was actually Las Nubes' first harvest.

This Sudan Rume from La Cabra comes from "Finca Las Margaritas," part of the renowned Granja La Esperanza group in Colombia.

Finca Las Margaritas: Perfect Growing Conditions

Margarita's altitude ranges between 1550-1800 meters, with temperatures between 64℉-74℉ - a quite mild climate - but the mountain terrain is steep, and from planting to harvest, strict maturity is required. Among the several farms in Granja La Esperanza, Margarita is more like a rare-variety experimental field. The rare varieties the Granja owner sought from friends in Latin America or elsewhere - every rare variety in Colombia, including Geisha, Mokka, Pacamara, different rare Bourbon types such as Pointed Bourbon, and Sudan Rume - are planted experimentally at Margarita.

Exceptional Quality and Advantages

After actual cultivation, they found Sudan Rume very well suited to the microclimate of Finca Las Margaritas in the Andes, especially at altitudes between 1700-1800 meters, where the flavor is even more outstanding and not at all inferior to Granja La Esperanza's Geisha (for example, Blue Hill and Margarita's Geisha). The difference is that Sudan Rume does not need soil nutrients supplemented the way Geisha does, so for Granja, planting Sudan Rume is much simpler than planting Geisha.

Both Las Nubes and Margarita lie in Colombia's Cauca Valley, but Las Nubes sits at 1600 meters while this Sudan Rume is planted close to 1800 meters, so an even sweeter flavor can be expected.

Cultivation Challenges

Of course, compared with other Arabica beans, Sudan Rume's yield is still much lower, and it needs phosphate fertilizer. Like Geisha, it tends to grow very tall, with cherries scattered throughout the branches, requiring frequent pruning to maintain a good picking height. Another problem is that the cherry ripening period is very uneven, and picking requires very precise discrimination. Sometimes a single unripe or overripe cherry can destroy the flavor of an entire cup.

Coffee Details

Region: Caicedonia, Valle Del Cauca

Estate: Finca Las Margaritas

Farmer: Granja La Esperanza, Rigoberto Herrera Correa

Altitude: 1780 meters

Variety: Sudan Rume

Planting Area: 3 hectares (area planted with Sudan Rume)

Temperature: Average 23°C

Processing: Washed

Flavor: Cranberry, apple, jasmine, vanilla, apricot, very sweet, smooth texture

FrontStreet Coffee Recommended Brewing:

Dripper: Hario V60

Water Temperature: 90°C

Grind Size: Fuji Royal grinder 3.5

Brewing Method: Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, 15g coffee, first pour 25g water, 25s bloom, second pour to 120g water then pause, wait until the water level in the coffee bed drops to half before continuing to pour, slowly pour until reaching 225g water, extraction time around 2:00.

Analysis: A three-stage brew clearly defines the front, middle and back-end flavors of the coffee. Because the V60 has many ribs and drains quickly, pausing the pour extends the extraction time.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

To taste a rare Colombian variety handled with the same care, FrontStreet Colombia Linea Divisoria Estate Xizhua is a fine choice. It is grown in Colombia and processed by the double anaerobic natural method, in which whole cherries are sealed in pressure-resistant tanks where temperature, time and pH are controlled to steer the fermentation. The oxygen-free environment brings out a rich tropical fruit aroma, and the bean is roasted medium-light. Brew it as a pour-over, cold brew, drip bag or moka pot coffee and you meet passion fruit, grape, apricot and preserved fruit in a complex, concentrated cup.

For an approachable everyday Colombian, FrontStreet Colombia Huila comes from the Huila department, the country's most celebrated specialty region, on mountain-ringed hills at altitudes above 1,500 meters. Washed and roasted medium-dark, it highlights black chocolate, a sweet nut character, moderate oils and a full body, and works equally well as pour-over, French press, moka pot or espresso for an Americano or latte.