Caturra is one of the varieties under the Arabica branch and a derivative descendant of the ancient Bourbon variety. Due to its high yield and good flavor performance, it is currently widely planted in Central and South America. In Front Street Coffee's long list of beans, such as Front Street Guatemala La Flor, Front Street Honduras Lychee Orchid, Front Street Colombia Rose Valley, Front Street Panama Butterfly, and many others, all contain the Caturra variety.Caturra was first discovered between 1915 and 1918, when a group of genes in Bourbon on a plantation in Minas Gerais, Brazil, mutated, causing the plant to become smaller in tree form (similar to dwarfism). This new coffee species, expressed in a new biological form, was called "Caturra" by the locals in the Guarani language, meaning "small." It is sometimes also called "Nanico."Because Caturra can be planted densely in a compact form, it is very convenient for growers to manage and harvest. Unlike other fragile Arabica varieties that need shade trees, Caturra is exposed to the sun and is not afraid of long periods of sunlight, so it is also called "Sun Coffee."Caturra has strong adaptability and can be planted at altitudes of 700 to 1,700 meters. The higher the altitude, the better the flavor performance, but the yield also decreases accordingly. Caturra performs best when planted at altitudes of 1,200 to 2,000 meters with annual rainfall of 2,500 to 3,500 ml, ensuring both good quality and yield. In terms of flavor, Caturra has bright acidity, a mouthfeel full of fruity notes, and after medium-dark roasting presents chocolate and nutty sweetness. It is a frequent champion in many coffee competitions.Caturra also has drawbacks. Under higher-density planting, high-yielding plants are easily overwhelmed, and to ensure they can bear coffee cherries, growers need to invest more fertilizer and management costs. In addition, Caturra has weak disease resistance and is not highly resistant to nematodes, coffee leaf rust, and other diseases, so it is also prone to infection and withering.According to the color of the fruit, Caturra can be divided into three types: red, yellow, and purple. Red Caturra (Caturra Velmelho) is the most common, and its flavor varies greatly depending on origin, processing, and roasting. Yellow Caturra (Caturra Amarello) and Purple Caturra (Purple Caturra) are relatively rare and come from recessive gene mutations.If you want to understand the flavor characteristics of this variety, Front Street recommends Front Street Colombia Huila everyday beans, which use naturally washed red Caturra. The washed Front Street Huila everyday beans have soft acidity as well as suitable body and sweetness. Front Street hopes to present the classic Colombian nutty profile while retaining some acidity, so it chose a medium-dark roast. Before launching each coffee bean, Front Street conducts at least one cupping evaluation. Cupping allows us to more objectively reflect the strengths and weaknesses of the coffee.
Considering that Front Street Huila everyday beans use a medium-dark roast, with a flavor leaning toward rich and mellow nutty and chocolate notes, the darker roast makes the coffee beans more porous and the coffee grounds more absorbent, so a medium grind size is chosen. To avoid extracting too many unwanted flavors, Front Street lowers the water temperature slightly, using a medium 90°C water temperature together with a KONO dripper for extraction.Unlike the V60 dripper, the only exhaust part of the KONO dripper is that one-quarter of the ribs. When the water level passes over the rib area, the water level in the dripper continues to rise, increasing pressure through the weight of the water. Since the outlet is relatively small, it can extend the contact time between coffee particles and water. As the water flow is poured in, it more effectively brings out soluble substances, thereby improving the coffee's rich and mellow mouthfeel. Therefore, it is suitable for brewing full-bodied coffee beans such as Front Street Golden Mandheling, Front Street Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee, and Front Street Brazil Queen's Estate.Brewing parameters: KONO dripper, 90°C water temperature, No. 20 standard sieve 75% passing grind size, 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio, dose: 15 grams, three-stage extraction.Pour the coffee grounds into the V60 dripper, wet the coffee bed with twice the amount of water as the coffee grounds to form a dome and bloom for 30s, then pour in a thin stream in circles from the inside outward until 125g, then pause. Wait until the coffee bed drops to the halfway point of the dripper, continue pouring the third stage with the same thin stream until 225g, and after all the coffee liquid has finished filtering, remove the dripper. The time is about 2 minutes.This Front Street Colombia Huila everyday bean has obvious roasting aromas of chocolate, nuts, and caramel on the palate, is smooth and sweet, has medium body, and is clean in the cup. As the temperature drops, you can feel a pleasant, soft acidity. The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
