Colombian Coffee Variety - Catillo Chilloso: A Coffee Variety You Haven't Heard Of!

When it comes to Colombian coffee, many coffee varieties likely come to mind, such as FrontStreet Coffee's distinctly floral varieties like Huayuena (Flower Moon Night), Rose Valley, Sakura, and San Jose, among others. Recently, a unique Colombian coffee variety has made a sensational debut with its distinctive floral aromas and citrusy acidity. This coffee variety, still relatively unfamiliar to many, is called: Caturra Chiroso. At the 5th LOD Land of Plenty coffee auction, three of the finalist coffee batches were Caturra Chiroso, with two of them being acquired by Chinese buyers.

What is Caturra Chiroso? How is it related to Caturra?

Everyone knows that Caturra is a natural mutation of Bourbon, discovered between 1915-1918 in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Because Caturra is a single-gene mutation, it results in relatively compact plants, hence the name "Caturra" means "small" in the Guaraní language.

Caturra Chiroso is said to be a natural mutation of Caturra, found only in the municipality of Urrao, Antioquia department, Colombia. Why "said to be"? Because to date, no official institution has published a formal genetic research report on this variety. Another reason is that this variety was discovered relatively recently, resulting in limited research.

This variety officially entered the coffee scene and gained recognition when coffee farmer Carmen Montoya from Urrao, Antioquia, won the 2014 first-ever Colombia Cup of Excellence with her Caturra Chiroso at $45/pound, becoming the highest bid of that year. Carmen named this Caturra mutation "Chiroso" (meaning "uneven") because the variety's leaves grow irregularly. Carmen's Chiroso seeds came from her father, and the original Caturra Chiroso trees are now at least twenty years old.

The Caturra Chiroso Variety

The birthplace of this variety, the municipality of Urrao, is located in the southwestern part of Antioquia, approximately 64 kilometers geographically from Medellín, another famous producing region in Antioquia. The coffee-producing area is situated entirely in the Western Cordillera of the Andes, with an average altitude of around 2000m, annual rainfall of about 2000mm, and an average temperature of 19°C. Due to the high cultivation altitude in this region, growing temperatures are relatively low. Initially, it was cultivated primarily for its resistance to cold climates and high yield potential, but now it is widely acclaimed for its complex floral aromas and flavor characteristics.

Since farm owner Carmen introduced Caturra Chiroso to the international stage, coffee farmers from the Urrao region have begun planting this variety. When describing the flavor profile of Caturra Chiroso, the most commonly appearing descriptors include floral notes, plum, peach, lemongrass, and other flavors. More importantly, this variety is predominantly processed using traditional washed methods, allowing us to experience 100% of the variety's intrinsic flavors and the terroir characteristics.

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