Introduction to the Grade and Characteristics of Catimor Coffee Variety - Flavor and Taste Description of Yunnan Catimor Coffee Beans

In 1959, Portuguese Dr. A. B. T. de Villiers successfully cultivated the Catimor variety. This is a hybrid between the Caturra and Timor coffee varieties. This variety would later influence many major coffee growing regions such as Colombia, Indonesia, and China's Yunnan. FrontStreet Coffee will introduce what the Catimor variety is.

What Variety is Catimor Coffee

Arabica coffee, belonging to the high-generation Catimor variety, has moderately dwarf plants with vigorous growth, stable secondary characteristics, and green terminal buds and tender leaves. The entire plant has dark green leaves, a columnar shape, short internodes, multiple branches, vigorous growth, wide adaptability, strong drought resistance, and some cold resistance. Under medium management levels, the average dry bean yield is over 200 kilograms. Catimor is not purely of Arabica bloodline; it's a hybrid between Timor (which belongs to the Robusta species) and Caturra (a Bourbon variety mutation), so Catimor has 25% Robusta bloodline. Its Robusta bloodline also determines its flavor defects: insufficient aroma, overall bitterness with heavy bitter notes, and容易出现 astringency and relatively irritating moldy taste.

Catimor in Colombia

FrontStreet Coffee learned from reviewing materials that around 1980, Colombia introduced the disease-resistant and high-yield Catimor variety to replace the old, weak, and diseased Caturra. After localized cultivation, Colombia decided to name this variety after the country, so the "Colombia" coffee variety actually refers to Catimor.

Of course, Catimor still maintained its undesirable earthy taste and poor aroma when it arrived in Colombia. So in 2008, Colombia announced the cultivation of a backcross variety between "Colombia" and Caturra, named Castillo.

Catimor in Indonesia

Indonesia is a melting pot of varieties with complex strains within it. In 1980, Indonesian authorities introduced a batch of Catimor to central Aceh for planting. However, due to political turmoil in Aceh, no external coffee merchants entered this land to seek beans for many years. After Catimor took root in Aceh for over 30 years, it became a local variety. Local coffee farmers would call these coffee beans Ateng. Later, Ateng was promoted to other parts of Sumatra for cultivation, and Ateng is the Indonesian name for Catimor. Today, the variety of FrontStreet Coffee's Golden Mandheling coffee beans is Ateng.

Catimor in China's Yunnan

Yunnan initially planted ancient excellent coffee varieties such as Typica and Bourbon. In 1988, 1991, and 1994, Nestlé Company introduced Catimor 7963, Catimor P1, P2, P3, P4, T5175, and T8667 from the Portuguese Coffee Rust Research Center for trial planting in Yunnan. To this day, 99% of coffee in Yunnan is of the Catimor variety.

So when we talk about Yunnan Arabica coffee today, we're actually referring to the Catimor variety. FrontStreet Coffee believes that the flavor expression of coffee beans doesn't have a fixed standard for distinguishing good from bad. We cannot measure Mandheling by the standards of Geisha flavor, because these two coffees each have their own characteristics. Therefore, coffee beans from each coffee-producing region should reflect the terroir charm of that region.

When selecting coffee beans, FrontStreet Coffee considers whether they have regional characteristics as one of the reference options. FrontStreet Coffee's daily bean series is also based on this reference standard, selecting some coffee beans that can represent the basic flavors of a producing country. To represent China's Yunnan, FrontStreet Coffee chose FrontStreet Coffee's Yunnan Baoshan Washed Catimor. As FrontStreet Coffee mentioned earlier, almost all coffee in Yunnan is currently Catimor, so this variety can best represent the Yunnan region. As a relatively long-established coffee growing area in Yunnan, the quality of Baoshan region is considered among the best in the entire Yunnan. The washed processing method reflects the most basic regional flavors of a producing region.

FrontStreet Coffee Yunnan Arabica Coffee Beans

Region: Yunnan Baoshan
Altitude: 1200m
Variety: Catimor
Processing: Washed
Flavor: Herbal, nutty aroma, chocolate, caramel

FrontStreet Coffee's Hand Brew Recommendation

FrontStreet Coffee recommends using V60 conical filter cups. The V60 has a relatively wide cup opening, plus its unique spiral curved ribs that allow air to be discharged more easily, thereby improving extraction quality. The taste may not be thick enough, but its high concentration brings out the fruit acidity and obvious aroma of FrontStreet Coffee's Yunnan coffee, which is one of its major characteristics.

Filter cup: V60
Water temperature: 90℃
Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15
Grind size: Medium-fine grind, i.e., the thickness of fine granulated sugar (75% pass rate through Chinese standard #20 sieve)
Brewing method: Segmented extraction

Use 30g of water for a 30-second bloom, then continue small circular water pouring to 124g for segmentation. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 227g and stop. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, remove the filter cup. (Timing starts from the beginning of blooming) Extraction time is 2 minutes.

FrontStreet Coffee Yunnan Arabica Coffee Beans Flavor Description

Plum, nuts, chocolate, caramel

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