Recommendation for Colombia Finca San Jose Pour-Over Coffee Beans - How to Brew Rum Barrel Fermented Coffee?

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Honduras' whiskey barrel-processed Sherry coffee beans are no stranger to many, and the rich whiskey aroma is unforgettable to everyone who has encountered this coffee bean. Many people think that barrel fermentation processing originated in Honduras, but in fact, the origin of barrel fermentation processing came from a sudden idea of the owner of Colombia's San Jose Estate. FrontStreet Coffee is also very curious about what kind of processing method barrel fermentation is. This article will explore this topic with FrontStreet Coffee.

FrontStreet Coffee - Colombia Rum Barrel Fermented Coffee Beans

Region: Caldas, Colombia
Estate: San Jose Estate
Altitude: 1750m
Variety: Castillo
Processing Method: Rum Barrel Fermentation Processing

Caldas Coffee Region in Colombia

When mentioning Colombia's specialty coffee regions, most people's first response is either Huila or Cauca, while few people know about the Caldas region. This region was recognized as a cultural heritage of Colombia by UNESCO in 2011, and it is precisely where coffee was first produced as a crop. San Jose Estate, with 222 hectares of land, is located in the central mountainous area at an altitude of 1350 to 1470 meters. The majority of the estate's planting areas are sunny.

Nourished by the Nevado del Ruiz volcano, the estate's land is fertile, with annual temperatures between 21°C and 25°C. The estate has established its own mature standards for coffee cherry harvesting. The color of suitable coffee cherries must be ripe to a slightly purple degree, and the harvesting time is during the second and third harvest seasons of the year. Caldas, Quindío, and Risaralda all belong to Colombia's "Coffee Golden Triangle," and together they produce the vast majority of coffee in the country. Coffee from the Caldas region has distinct vanilla aroma, soft acidity, and full body.

Introduction to San Jose Estate

San Jose Estate is a family business, founded in 1963. It is now managed and operated by the third generation of the family. Their common goal is to ensure the most adequate protection of the natural environment and resources: maintaining diverse planting and the reproduction of local animals, protecting water sources and irrigation systems, introducing more advanced equipment and systems, so that the local community can maintain traditions while also achieving development. At San Jose Estate, everything done is for the purpose of producing good coffee.

Colombia's San Jose Estate (Finca San Jose Estate) has been actively seeking breakthroughs to forge a different path for itself in the prevailing trend of specialty coffee in recent years. One day, while accompanying her husband (who makes rum oak barrels and brews rum) to fill rum distillate for fermentation, the estate's owner, Monsalve Botero, suddenly wondered if coffee beans could be fermented in oak barrels to produce different flavors. For this reason, Ms. Monsalve Botero began trying in 2013 to use Colombian oak barrels of different aging periods for different fermentation times in a winemaking-style low-temperature fermentation, finally finding the desired taste in this year's batch, creating a refined washed rum barrel fermented bean that is different from the general traditional washing.

Rum Barrel Fermentation Processing Method

After removing the peel and pulp of the coffee cherries, they are washed and undergo fermentation for no longer than 20 hours. First, they are dried in a SILO (silo) to the target moisture content, and then naturally dried outdoors under the protection of a rain cover until completion. For the special rum barrel fermentation batches, the above-processed coffee beans are screened to select 17/18 screen size coffee beans, which are then left to rest for 3 months in rum barrels aged more than 8 years that are rich in "Tafia" aroma. During this period, samples are taken every thirty days for analysis, and the only goal to be achieved is to allow the coffee beans to absorb and present the flavor of rum.

What is Castillo?

Castillo is the result of five generations of hybrid selection between Timor and Caturra varieties: Timor is the result of natural hybridization between Arabica and Robusta, with tall plants and resistance to leaf rust. Caturra is the result of natural mutation of Bourbon, with short plants, higher yield than Typica and Bourbon, and good inheritance of Bourbon's high-quality flavor. Plants can be spaced closer, allowing more plants per unit area. It is susceptible to leaf rust.

How Does FrontStreet Coffee Roast These Rum-Aromatic Coffee Beans?

Preheat to 190°C, heat at 140, damper at 3; Return temperature at 1'42", when the temperature reaches 140°C, open the damper to 4, heat unchanged; when the temperature reaches 151.8°C, the bean surface turns yellow, the grassy smell completely disappears, entering the dehydration stage. When the temperature reaches 150°C, adjust the heat to 120, damper unchanged. At 8'38", ugly wrinkles and black spots appear on the bean surface, the toast smell clearly turns to coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to the first crack. At this time, listen carefully for the sound of the first crack. At 9'07", the first crack begins, damper open to 4, develop for 2'10" after the first crack, discharge at 195°C.

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Guide!

This San Jose coffee bean has a rich wine aroma, so whether brewing hot pour-over or iced pour-over, it is an excellent choice. To make the flavor of this coffee bean more layered, FrontStreet Coffee uses a V60 dripper to brew this bean, because the spiral ribs of the V60 dripper to the outlet feature, segmented extraction can enhance the layering.

Hot Pour-over Parameters

Dripper: Hario V60
Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:15
Dose: 15g
Water Temperature: 91°C
Grind Size: Fine sugar (80% pass-through rate on #20 sieve)

FrontStreet Coffee Segmented Extraction Technique: First, use 30g of water to fully wet the coffee bed into a "hamburger" shape for 30 seconds bloom; Second, at 1'00" on the timer, inject water to 125g, then stop and wait for the water level to drop to 2/3 of the coffee bed before injecting the third segment; Third, at 1'40" on the timer, inject water to 225g, and wait for the coffee liquid to completely drip through. The total extraction time is 1'59". After the coffee extraction is complete, gently shake the dripper and wait for the coffee liquid to be fully uniform before tasting.

San Jose Coffee Bean Hot Pour-over Flavor: Smells of rich fermented wine aroma, tastes of rum, nuts, tropical fruits, cream, and oolong tea sensations, with obvious sweetness and overall balance.

Iced Pour-over Parameters

Dripper: Hario V60
Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:10
Dose: 15g
Water Temperature: 91°C
Grind Size: Slightly finer than fine sugar (82% pass-through rate on #20 sieve)
Ice: 100g

Because ice needs to be added for dilution, the coffee-to-water ratio should be reduced and the coffee bean grind size should be finer.

Similarly, use segmented extraction: Bloom with 30g of water for 30 seconds, then pour in a small circular motion to 90g for segmentation, when the water level is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 150g and stop pouring. When the water level is about to expose the coffee bed, remove the dripper (timing starts from the beginning of blooming). The extraction time is 1'25", then add 100g of ice and stir thoroughly before tasting.

San Jose Coffee Bean Iced Pour-over Flavor: The fermented wine aroma is not as obvious as in the hot pour-over. Upon entry, the rum aroma and tropical fruit soft acidity arrive hand in hand, followed by the aroma of nuts, with high sweetness and smooth texture.

Important Notice :

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