Catimor Coffee Variety: How to Brew China Yunnan Catimor Arabica Coffee?

Yunnan Coffee Bean Varieties and Planting Overview

FrontStreet Coffee's Yunnan coffee bean plantations primarily grow Typica and a small amount of Bourbon. The Yunnan coffee varieties are dominated by Catimor, a hybrid variety with Robusta genes, which is quite different from other major coffee growing regions that primarily focus on traditional Typica. In domestic Yunnan green bean competitions, Catimor has consistently secured the top ten positions, while high-quality undisputed Arabica varieties are rarely seen due to very few farmers growing them. This has created the impression that Yunnan Catimor should not be underestimated. Ted Lingle, senior advisor at America's CQI, mentioned that when Catimor is planted at high altitudes above 1500 meters, it develops enhanced aroma and body. Combined with appropriate post-processing methods, its flavor profile can rival traditional old varieties. The reputation that Yunnan coffee is not inferior emerged under these circumstances. Currently, the main coffee varieties cultivated in Yunnan include Catimor, Typica, Bourbon, Caturra, and Catuai. However, almost all varieties found on the market are Catimor. Therefore, Yunnan small bean coffee now refers to Yunnan Catimor.

Catimor Variety (Small Bean Coffee)

In 1959, the Portuguese crossbred Brazilian Caturra with Timor to create Catimor, a variety with strong disease resistance, which has now become an important commercial coffee variety. Coffee is a short-day plant that exhibits multiple flowering phenomena and concentrated flowering periods. Small bean coffee in Yunnan flowers from February to July, with peak flowering from March to May. Coffee flowering is significantly influenced by climate, particularly rainfall and temperature. Coffee flowers have a short lifespan of only 2-3 days. Small bean coffee typically begins to bloom around 3-5 AM and reaches full bloom from 5-7 AM. Coffee fruit development takes a long time. Small bean coffee fruit takes 8-10 months to mature, generally ripening from October to December of the same year. Rainfall greatly affects fruit development, and climate conditions directly impact the fruit.

Catimor is a hybrid of Caturra and Timor—don't confuse it with Caturra and Catuai. This highly disease-resistant plant can withstand coffee leaf rust disease, which led to widespread cultivation in Latin American countries during the 1980s. Unfortunately, because Timor variety (also known as Arabusta) is a natural hybrid of Timor Arabica and Robusta, while the latter can provide disease resistance, the delicate flavor profile of Arabica varieties is lost.

Catimor small bean coffee is suitable for growing on mountain slopes at altitudes of 800-1800 meters. If the altitude is too high, the taste becomes acidic; if too low, it becomes bitter. Most Catimor small bean coffee is planted in dry-hot valley regions around 1100 meters altitude, resulting in moderate acidity, rich aroma, and smooth mellow taste. Many areas in Yunnan have unique environments suitable for small bean coffee cultivation, producing exceptionally high-quality small bean coffee.

Yunnan Planting Regions

The main planting areas are distributed in Lincang, Baoshan, Simao, Xishuangbanna, and Dehong. Baoshan has an average temperature of 21.5°C, reaching up to 40.4°C, with basically no frost throughout the year, making it recognized as the best small bean coffee producing area. The small bean coffee cultivated here is renowned both domestically and internationally for being rich but not bitter, aromatic but not overpowering, with small and uniform particles, rich mellow aroma, and fruity notes. International coffee organization tasting experts have evaluated Yunnan coffee as being in the same category as Colombian wet-processed small bean coffee, ranking it among the world's high-quality coffees.

Representative Coffee Bean – FrontStreet Coffee Yunnan Small Bean Coffee

Region: Baoshan, China
Altitude: 1200m
Processing Method: Washed
Variety: Catimor

Yunnan Small Bean Coffee Processing Method

Due to the perennial rainy season and unstable climate, most Yunnan coffee beans are processed using the washed method.

After harvesting, the berries are either sent directly to the pulp collector (when harvesting work is done well) or gathered in a siphon tank filled with water. The berries are cleaned and separated in this tank. Stones sink to the bottom and are removed manually when the tank is emptied. Lighter berries float on the water surface and are removed along with leaves and small branches using a strainer. The berries suspended in the water are then recovered with a siphon and transported to the pulp collector.

FrontStreet Coffee Roasting Recommendations

Roasting Machine: Yangjia 800N (300g batch size)

Set roaster temperature to 190°C, heat to 120, damper open to 3; Return to temperature point at 1'40", when roaster temperature reaches 145°C, open damper to 4, heat unchanged; When roaster temperature reaches 166°C, bean surface turns yellow, grassy smell completely disappears, enter dehydration stage. When roaster temperature reaches 188°C, adjust heat to 60°C, damper at 5.

At 8'37", ugly wrinkles and black spots appear on the bean surface, toast smell clearly transitions to coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this time, listen carefully for the sound of first crack. First crack begins at 9'00", damper unchanged, develop for 3 minutes after first crack, discharge at 198°C.

FrontStreet Coffee Cupping Results

Smooth entry with Asian herbal plant aroma, lively and bright acidity, good balance between soft acidity and rich body, rich layers, with obvious dark chocolate, honey, and cane sugar notes in the aftertaste. After completely cooling, brown sugar flavors emerge.

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Recommendations

Considering that FrontStreet Coffee uses medium-light roasting for Yunnan small bean coffee, we recommend using higher water temperature and a faster flow rate dripper. This is mainly because high temperature is needed to extract its bright acidity characteristics, but we don't want over-extraction due to high temperatures. Therefore, we choose the faster-flow V60 dripper and 90-91°C water temperature for brewing.

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Parameters

Dripper: HARIO V60
Water Temperature: 90-91°C
Grind Size: BG#6m (fine sugar size)
Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:15

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Method: First, pour 30g of water for 30-second bloom, then pour 95g more (scale shows about 125g), completing in about 1 minute. When the water level drops to 2/3 of the coffee bed, pour the remaining 100g (scale shows about 225g), completing in about 1 minute 40 seconds. Drip completion between 1'55"~2'00", remove dripper, complete extraction.

Yunnan Small Bean Coffee Brewing Flavor: Aroma of nuts, with herbal, chocolate, and caramel notes in the mouth, and a light fruity acidity in the aftertaste.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473