Pour-Over Coffee Colombia San José: What's the Difference with the Musician Series? Brewing Flavor Characteristics

FrontStreet Coffee Colombia Finca San Jose

Origin: Colombia

Region: Caldas

Estate: Finca San Jose

Altitude: 1750 meters

Grade: Supremo

Variety: Castillo

Processing: Refined Washed Rum Barrel Fermentation

According to SCA recommendations, for pour-over coffee use 15g of coffee grounds with 225ml of water at 90-91°C, keeping a 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio.

Flavor notes: rum, chocolate liqueur, tropical fruits and maple syrup.

Refined Washed Rum Barrel Processing

The coffee used for refined washed rum barrel fermentation is carefully selected Castillo variety, screened to approximately 17-18 mesh. After the fruit pulp is removed, the beans are placed in aged oak barrels for low-temperature fermentation.

After the low-temperature fermentation, the beans are washed and then dried on sunbeds. The fusion of rum's rich wine aroma with the scent of oak barrels creates a truly magnificent flavor profile.

Castillo is a new-generation leaf rust-resistant coffee variety jointly developed by the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation (FNC) and Colombia's National Coffee Research Center, Cenicafé. Cenicafé sought to improve the variety further, aiming for higher yields, greater disease resistance and quality and flavor comparable to Caturra.

In the latter half of the 20th century, Caturra gradually replaced Colombia's ancient coffee varieties and became the country's main cultivated variety. In 1982 the Coffee Research Center released the Colombia variety. In 1983 Colombia recorded its first case of leaf rust, and the disease-resistant Colombia variety was promoted. In 2005, building on research into the Colombia variety, the Coffee Research Center introduced Castillo. The FNC strongly supported the new variety, promoting its cultivation through comprehensive agricultural and financial policies.

Within just ten years, by 2015, articles indicated that Castillo already accounted for 40% of all coffee planting area in Colombia. The leaf rust outbreak of 2008-2010 also contributed to its spread.

The vigorous promotion of Castillo once sparked significant controversy between coffee farmers and roasters. The debate often centered on the new variety's Robusta genes and its cup performance compared with Caturra. In December 2014 and January 2015, world-renowned coffee organizations and research institutions, working with well-known coffee companies, ran a sensory test comparing Castillo and Caturra. The analysis covered samples from 25 farms in Colombia's Nariño region. In summary, Castillo showed good cupping performance.

Finca San Jose Estate

The century-old Finca San Jose Estate sits in a volcanic-ash-rich area near the Nevado del Ruiz volcano, with abundant sunshine and an average annual temperature between 21-25°C. The estate covers 18 hectares in total, of which 16.5 hectares are dedicated to coffee cultivation.

Amid the wave of specialty coffee in recent years, Finca San Jose has been actively seeking a path of its own.

The husband of Finca San Jose's owner, Monsalve Botero, specializes in manufacturing rum oak barrels and brewing rum. One day, while filling distillate for fermentation, she had a sudden idea: what if coffee beans were placed in oak barrels to ferment? Would that create even more distinctive flavors?

So, starting in 2013, Monsalve Botero began experimenting with rum barrel fermentations of varying durations at low temperatures. Finally, in 2018 she found the ideal method, creating this post-processed bean with characteristics distinct from typical washed processing.

FrontStreet Coffee Colombia Finca San Jose cupping notes: rum, chocolate liqueur, tropical fruits, maple syrup.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If rum barrel fermentation appeals to you, you will enjoy another fermented Colombian coffee from FrontStreet Coffee: Colombia Strawberry. It uses an anaerobic natural process, where whole cherries ferment without oxygen before drying. Roasted medium-light, it transforms into rich tropical fruit aroma with passion fruit, grape, apricot and dried fruit in the cup. It works as pour-over, cold brew, drip bag or moka pot, and it shows the same layered, fruit-driven depth as the rum barrel lot above.

For a more classic Colombian cup, try FrontStreet Coffee's washed Huila. The Huila province in the southern central Andes is Colombia's best-known specialty region, with cultivation above 1,500 meters and abundant water from converging rivers. Roasted medium-dark, it brings black chocolate and nut sweetness with moderate oils and a full body, and it suits pour-over and French press as well as moka pot and espresso machine, so it works in both Americanos and lattes.

For espresso with milk, FrontStreet Coffee's Premium Blend pairs Brazil's creamy nut character with Colombia's dark chocolate bitterness, producing fine golden crema and a rich, smooth latte that is very beginner-friendly. Since the San Jose above is roasted for pour-over, brew it at 90-91°C with 15g and a 1:15 ratio to 225ml, as the SCA guidance suggests.