Caturra coffee variety is a natural mutation of the Bourbon variety. It was discovered on a plantation in the state of Minas Gerais in Brazil sometime between 1915 and 1918. Caturra has a single-gene mutation that causes the plant to grow smaller (called Dwarf/Compactism). Its name derives from the Guarani word meaning "small." It is also called "Nanico."
The variety was never officially released in Brazil, but has become common in Central America. It was introduced in Guatemala in the 1940s, but widespread commercial adoption didn’t happen for another three decades. From Guatemala, it was introduced to Costa Rica, Honduras, and Panama.For decades, it was one of the most economically important coffees in Central America, to the extent that it was often used (and sometimes still is) as a “benchmark” against which new cultivars are tested. In Colombia, Caturra was thought to represent nearly half of the country’s production until a government-sponsored program beginning in 2008 incentivized renovation of over three billion coffee trees with the leaf-rust-resistant Castillo variety (which has Caturra parentage).

Caturra Coffee Variety Washed/ Culturing Fermentation
Process Details

Julio Quiceno use a specialized fermentation method similar to yoghurt-making called "culturing" which enhances the flavours and aromas of their coffee beans.

-This coffee begins with manual selection of ripe cherries to ensure only the highest- quality fruit is processed. The cherries undergo 48 hours of controlled oxidation, after which they are gently heated to 40°C before pulping to activate enzymatic reactions.

-The de pulped coffee is then transferred into a bioreactor for a 72-hour guided fermentation using selected yeast, per-fermented pineapple and coconut (48 hours).

-The addition of pineapple and coconut not only helps with yeast and microbiome development for complex flavours, but also adds extra sugars that are essential in removing the mucilage surrounding the coffee bean. The unique bacteria and microorganisms present in the local environment also play a crucial role in this process.

-Throughout fermentation, They carefully monitored factors such as pH, temperature, and sugar levels. Once the desired point was reached, the coffee was rinsed (washed Processed).

-Once fermentation is complete, the coffee is dried under the sun until it reaches about 30% moisture, with drying completed mechanically in a silo to ensure uniformity and consistency. Finally, the beans rest for one month to stabilize and refine their final flavor expression.

Origin: Colombia
Farm: Milan
Region: Risaralda
Altitude: 1600 m.s.l.

Actors involved in the coffee supply chain
Julio Madrid & Julio Quiceno/ Milan Farm – Cata - Lucky Cat - YOU 🫵🏼