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What is Catimor Coffee: Varietal Characteristics and Genetic Background

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, For more professional coffee knowledge and bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style). Catimor was developed by scientists in Portugal in 1959, with the goal of creating a magical formula featuring high yield, high disease resistance, and small plant size (suitable for high-density planting). This variety is a Timor hybrid

Catimor Variety

Catimor, a hybrid of Timor and Caturra, was developed in 1959 by the Portuguese Coffee Rust Research Center (CIFC) with research focused on disease resistance and high yield. It began to be promoted in Brazil during the 1970s and 1980s. With its disease resistance and high yield characteristics, Catimor has secured a place among Central and South American coffee varieties. The periodic outbreaks of coffee leaf rust crises in Central and South America have also contributed to the widespread adoption of Catimor varieties.

Inherited Robusta genes from Timor enable Catimor varieties to better resist Coffee Berry Disease (CBD) and coffee leaf rust, while also having stronger pest and disease resistance. However, this inheritance has also led to frequent criticism regarding its cup performance.

Catimor varieties show sub-immune or extremely high resistance to leaf rust. Their plant form is compact, providing some inhibition against coffee borers that typically lay eggs and cause damage on exposed branches. They have high yields with no significant alternate bearing phenomenon.

When planted at low altitudes, Catimor's cupping performance shows no significant advantage or disadvantage compared to other commercial varieties. When planted above 1200 meters altitude, Catimor's cup flavor is noticeably inferior to Bourbon, Caturra, and Catuai varieties.

Catimor Plant Characteristics

Catimor varieties grow vigorously with stable secondary characteristics. The crown's terminal buds and young leaves are emerald green, with dark green foliage throughout the plant. The plant form is columnar, with short internodes, many branches, wide adaptability, strong drought resistance, and some cold resistance.

Visually, Catimor variety coffee seedlings have relatively short branch nodes with short distances between nodes, allowing the coffee tree to bear more fruit. This is one reason why Catimor has higher per-plant yields than other traditional low-yield varieties.

Catimor variety plants are small, allowing for more compact planting (shorter distances between trees). This is one reason why Catimor yields higher per unit area than other traditional varieties. Additionally, the small plant size allows for convenient harvesting without additional pruning.

Catimor varieties are characterized by high yield, small plant size, and dense planting capability.

Currently, 99% of Yunnan's coffee production comes from the Catimor variety. Therefore, what we commonly refer to as Yunnan arabica coffee actually refers to Yunnan Catimor.

The Catimor Coffee Flavor Debate

Catimor's flavor has always been a controversial topic in the coffee community. As mentioned earlier, Catimor comes from a hybrid of Caturra and Timor varieties. Timor is a variety containing Robusta genes, and it is precisely this genetic component that gives Catimor its super-vital performance, while the other half - Caturra's high yield and Bourbon lineage characteristics - gives Catimor more flavor expression.

Undoubtedly, Catimor is successful in terms of yield and disease, drought, and cold resistance, but as the saying goes, "you can't have your cake and eat it too." FrontStreet Coffee previously shared that high-quality coffee trees are mainly planted in high-altitude areas, and the large temperature difference between day and night at high altitudes causes coffee trees to grow slowly, accumulating more sugars or nutrients, which is the source of refined flavors.

However, Catimor varieties have a shorter time from planting to actual harvest yields compared to traditional varieties, accumulating fewer nutrients than traditional varieties that require long growth periods.

In addition, high yields inevitably lead to nutrient dispersion. It's like dividing the same cake into four pieces versus eight pieces - while eight pieces may seem more in quantity, the four pieces are larger.

Furthermore, the Robusta genes may also increase the chlorogenic acid content in Catimor varieties (Robusta's chlorogenic acid content is much higher than Arabica varieties). While chlorogenic acid helps with pest resistance on one hand, it is an organic acid that brings bitterness and unpleasant acidity to coffee taste.

Therefore, although Catimor is high-yielding, in today's specialty coffee world that pursues flavor performance, Catimor may struggle to satisfy the discerning palates of some connoisseurs. Taking Costa Rica as an example, after Costa Rica's independence in 1821, it began to vigorously develop its coffee industry to drive economic development. In 1989, Costa Rica passed legislation prohibiting the domestic cultivation of Robusta and began to resist Catimor varieties.

Although its flavor may not match other varieties, Catimor still occupies many production areas as a main variety. Taking Yunnan as an example, we can explore Catimor's flavor through this lens. FrontStreet Coffee selects high-altitude Catimor coffee beans from Lujiangba, Baoshan, Yunnan. FrontStreet Coffee believes that the Catimor quality here is relatively high-quality throughout Yunnan and can represent the regional flavor characteristics of Yunnan coffee.

FrontStreet Coffee's Roasting Recommendations for Yunnan Arabica

Heat the drum to 190°C, use 120 heat power, with damper setting at 3. Return to temperature point at 1'40", when drum temperature reaches 145°C, open the damper to 4, keeping heat unchanged. When drum temperature reaches 166°C, the bean surface turns yellow, grassy aroma completely disappears, entering the dehydration stage. When drum temperature reaches 188°C, adjust heat to 60°C, with damper at 5. At 8'37", ugly wrinkles and black spots appear on the bean surface, and the toasted bread aroma clearly transitions to coffee aroma - this can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this point, listen carefully for the sound of first crack. First crack begins at 9'00", keep damper unchanged, develop for 3 minutes after first crack, then remove from drum at 198°C.

Cupping after roasting revealed that FrontStreet Coffee's Yunnan arabica has a smooth entrance with Asian herbal plant aromas, gentle acidity, good balance in body, rich layers, and a finish with distinct black chocolate, honey, and cane sugar flavors. When completely cooled, brown sugar flavors emerge.