Introduction to Colombia San Jose Estate Rum Barrel Fermented Washed Process Castillo Coffee

Among common coffee varieties are Arabica and Robusta. Arabica is widely used in the single-origin coffee market, while Robusta varieties are used for espresso blends or instant coffee. Today, FrontStreet Coffee will discuss Castillo, one of the hybrid varieties of these two coffee species.

What is Castillo Coffee Variety?

Castillo is a coffee variety developed in 2005 by Colombia's coffee research institution to enhance plant disease resistance. It is currently the main cultivated variety in Colombia.

According to FrontStreet Coffee's understanding, Castillo is the result of five generations of hybrid breeding between Timor and Caturra varieties. Timor is a natural hybrid of Arabica and Robusta, with tall plants that are resistant to leaf rust. Caturra is a natural mutation of the Bourbon variety, with dwarf plants that yield higher than Typica and Bourbon, while inheriting Bourbon's excellent flavor quality. The plants can be spaced closer together, allowing for denser planting per unit area, but they are susceptible to leaf rust.

Colombian Coffee Growing Conditions

Colombia is located in the northwest of the South American continent, bordering Panama in Central America. It belongs to the tropical region, with climate varying by terrain. It features rich volcanic soil, annual rainfall of 2000-3000mm, mild temperatures, and humid air, making it extremely suitable for growing high-quality Arabica coffee beans. It is precisely this climatic diversity that allows Colombian coffee to have harvest seasons year-round. This is also why Colombian coffee quality is excellent.

Colombia has "four treasures": flowers, gold, emeralds, and coffee, which shows the important position of coffee in Colombia.

Colombian Coffee Regions

According to FrontStreet Coffee's understanding, Colombian coffee growing regions are mainly concentrated in the south, with altitudes above 1500 meters. They are primarily distributed in Huila, Cauca, Nariño, and Tolima provinces. These regions all feature delicate acidity, berry sweetness, and full sweetness.

Huila Province

Huila Province is located in the southern part of Colombia's central mountain range and is the most famous specialty coffee producing region in Colombia. This area consists of hills surrounded by mountains, with altitudes above 1500 meters. The most important rivers in Colombia converge here, bringing abundant water resources and moisture. Contrary to coffee enthusiasts' impression of Colombian coffee as balanced and smooth, many small-batch Colombian specialty coffees actually have distinct regional flavor characteristics. For example, the Isabella coffee beans and Huila coffee beans in FrontStreet Coffee's store both come from Huila Province, but their flavor profiles are completely different.

Cauca Province

Cauca Province is a Colombian coffee origin certified region, with an average altitude of 1758m and maximum altitude reaching up to 2100m. The region's terrain, precipitation, temperature, and volcanic soil provide suitable conditions for coffee growth. 80% of the area is mountainous, with parallel mountain ranges in the eastern and central parts, which are part of the Andes Mountains. The central mountain range includes two main volcanoes, Sotara and Petacas. Similar to other southwestern producing regions, precipitation in Cauca shows a clear monomodal distribution, with the dry season mainly occurring from August to September each year. The subsequent rainy season brings a concentrated coffee flowering period, followed by a concentrated coffee harvest season the next year.

The biggest climate difference between Cauca and other producing regions is probably the relatively large temperature difference. The average daily temperature is 11°C, while the average daytime temperature is 18°C. The day-night temperature difference is an important factor in forming high-quality coffee. Low nighttime temperatures and relatively higher altitudes slow down the growth rhythm of coffee, allowing coffee seeds and beans to more fully absorb the nutrients from coffee cherries, which also creates better acidity and the renowned special sweetness of Cauca coffee.

Nariño Province

Nariño Province is located in southwestern Colombia, bordering the Pacific Ocean to the west and Ecuador to the south. The Andes Mountains run through the entire province. Coffee is grown in the high-altitude cloud forest belt between 1600-2300 meters, with fertile volcanic soil. The vast majority of Nariño's annual production is purchased by large American bean merchants, but Nariño Province's total annual output is about 150,000 bags, with only about 6,000 bags belonging to the select bean category.

Tolima

Tolima is adjacent to Huila and Cauca. Here, the north-south Andes Mountains and Cordillera Mountains run through, and between these two famous mountain systems flows the Magdalena River from south to north. Therefore, the water and soil conditions are also very suitable for coffee tree cultivation.

According to FrontStreet Coffee's understanding, Tolima's farms are generally slightly larger than those in other southern Colombian producing regions, about 10-15 hectares. Cooperative methods are also popular here, with farmers sending their small batches of fresh coffee cherries to cooperative processing plants. Some farmers also choose to process themselves, using their small-scale facilities that can handle the same day's harvest.

The above is information about Colombian coffee growing regions. Next, FrontStreet Coffee will share all the Frontsteet Colombian Castillo variety coffee beans currently available in FrontStreet Coffee's store.

FrontStreet Coffee: Frontsteet Colombian San José Estate Coffee Beans

Country: Colombia

Region: Caldas

Altitude: 1750m

Variety: Castillo

Processing: Refined Washed Rum Barrel Fermentation

Flavor: Rum, liquor-filled chocolate, tropical fruits, maple syrup

The reason FrontStreet Coffee decided to stock this bean is that after cupping and brewing, FrontStreet Coffee found that Frontsteet San José Coffee presents rich tropical fruit flavors on top of wine notes. It has similarities but its own characteristics, which is why FrontStreet Coffee finally decided to stock this bean.

At the same time, the third-generation owner of this estate is the creator of the rum barrel fermentation processing method. The inspiration for this processing method came when she was brewing rum with her husband and had a sudden idea: what would happen if she put green coffee beans into oak barrels? Would they absorb oak barrel flavors like the original wine, achieving barrel-aged effects?

With this concept, the owner Monsalve Botero began in 2013 to place green beans in rum barrels of different ages for winemaking-style low-temperature fermentation, comparing fermentation flavors from different brewing times. Through such experiments, she selected the most suitable barrels and fermentation duration. Finally, she successfully found the optimal combination to achieve special and satisfactory flavors, thereby creating rum barrel fermented coffee different from traditional washed processing. So what is the process of this processing method? FrontStreet Coffee will share this with all coffee enthusiast friends below.

Refined Washed Processing + Rum Barrel Fermentation

The owner of San José Estate selects Castillo variety coffee beans, handpicks fully ripe coffee cherries, and after full washing, lets them ferment for 20 hours, then puts them into rum oak barrels over 8 years old. The beans are left in the barrels for three months, rolled once daily to evenly absorb the wine aroma.

During the barrel fermentation period, coffee beans in the barrel are sampled every 30 days to ensure the degree of fermentation and complete absorption of wine aroma, reducing cases of insufficient or excessive absorption, so that when the coffee beans are finally finished, their characteristics can be more distinct and complete. After fermentation, the rum-flavored coffee beans are taken to greenhouse drying. The greenhouse temperature is average, which can avoid the secondary fermentation of coffee beans caused by high temperatures from African frame sun-drying.

Because this Frontsteet Colombian San José coffee bean has the same processing method as two Frontsteet Honduran coffee beans in FrontStreet Coffee's store, FrontStreet Coffee conducted cupping comparisons of these two coffee beans and concluded that the flavor sequence of the two Honduran rum barrel fermented coffee beans is: first wine aroma, then gentle fruit acidity, and finally creamy texture with nutty cocoa flavors.

However, Frontsteet San José's rum barrel fermented coffee beans first present nutty cocoa flavors and creamy texture, followed immediately by rum aroma, and then tropical fruit acidity and maple sweetness emerge.

FrontStreet Coffee: Colombian Paradise Estate Sakura Coffee Beans

Country: Colombia

Region: Cauca (Paradise Estate)

Altitude: 2050m

Variety: Castillo

Processing: Double Anaerobic Washed Processing

Flavor: Spices, tea-like notes, citrus

Frontsteet Sakura Coffee comes from Paradise Estate in Cauca Province, Colombia. FrontStreet Coffee thinks the origin of the Sakura name is probably because it smells like cherry blossoms, hence it was named "Sakura."

According to FrontStreet Coffee's understanding, Paradise Estate was actually only recognized by coffee enthusiast friends in 2015, making it a rising star. It is a coffee estate that began operations in 2008 by Mr. Diego Samuel. Initially, it was just a small 2.5-hectare family-style estate. The estate owner invested the surplus from each year's harvest into coffee agriculture research and continued to study how to produce better specialty flavors. Until 2015, he participated in a local regional competition for the first time and won first place. After becoming famous overnight, he gained recognition from the industry and was more motivated to promote specialty coffee cultivation. This is how Paradise Estate became widely known among coffee enthusiasts.

Characteristics of Anaerobic Fermentation Processing

Using stainless steel containers (which don't absorb previous coffee bean flavors) to hold coffee cherries allows for cleaner flavors. Fermentation in a sealed environment makes various factors easier to control, and each batch of processed coffee beans is more likely to be consistent, with aromatic substances less likely to volatilize. Fermentation in an oxygen-free environment results in rounder flavors, often bringing cheese and cream aromas. FrontStreet Coffee believes that coffee beans processed with this method usually have fuller body and wine aromas.

FrontStreet Coffee conducts roasting and brewing tests before stocking any new bean, selecting the optimal parameters to hand-brew for FrontStreet Coffee's coffee enthusiast friends to taste. Next, FrontStreet Coffee will share the roasting and brewing parameters for these two coffee beans.

FrontStreet Coffee Roasting Data Sharing:

Frontsteet Colombian Sakura Coffee Beans:

Using Yangjia semi-direct fire 800n, 300g green beans as an example. Enter the pot at 190°C, heat at 140, damper open at 3; return to temperature point at 1'42", when pot temperature reaches 140°C, open damper to 4, heat unchanged; when pot temperature reaches 151.8°C, bean surface turns yellow, grassy smell completely disappears, entering dehydration stage. When pot temperature reaches 150°C, adjust heat to 120, damper unchanged. At 8'38", bean surface shows ugly wrinkles and black spots, toast smell clearly turns to coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this time, listen carefully for the first crack sound. First crack starts at 9'07", open damper to 4, develop for 2'10 after first crack, discharge at 195°C.

Frontsteet Colombian San José Estate Coffee Beans

Using Yangjia semi-direct fire 800n, 300g green beans as an example. Enter the pot at 190°C, heat at 140, damper open at 3; return to temperature point at 1'42", when pot temperature reaches 140°C, open damper to 4, heat unchanged; when pot temperature reaches 151.8°C, bean surface turns yellow, grassy smell completely disappears, entering dehydration stage. When pot temperature reaches 150°C, adjust heat to 120, damper unchanged; at 8'38", bean surface shows ugly wrinkles and black spots, toast smell clearly turns to coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this time, listen carefully for the first crack sound. First crack starts at 9'07", open damper to 4, develop for 2'10 after first crack, discharge at 195°C.

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Suggestions

Dripper: V60 Dripper

Water Temperature: 90-91°C

Dose: 15 grams

Ratio: 1:15

Grind Size: Medium-fine grind (78% pass rate through #20 standard sieve)

Using three-stage brewing technique

Use 30g of water for blooming, bloom for 30 seconds; small water flow center injection to 125g segment, when water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, increase water flow to inject to 225g and stop. When water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, remove the dripper. (Timer starts from blooming) Extraction time between 2'00" to 2'10".

Frontsteet Colombian Sakura Coffee Beans Flavor Description: Distinctive spice tea, citrus-like acidity, smooth, slight floral notes, moderate body.

Frontsteet Colombian San José Estate Coffee Beans Flavor Description: Features rum, liquor-filled chocolate, tropical fruits, grape flavors, maple sweetness, creamy texture.

For more specialty coffee beans, please add FrontStreet Coffee on private WeChat, WeChat ID: kaixinguoguo0925

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473