Colombia Finca Villa Betulia Honey Caturron

A very interesting flavor profile with this bean: upfront flavors and aromas of cardamom and mint, layered over tart black cherry, with hints of tropical fruit — the earthy spice is at the forefront at every roast level, but tempered somewhat towards darker roasts.

Finca Villa Betulia is one of a handful of farms that cultivates the incredibly rare and recently discovered Catturón coffee variety. It’s a wild mutation of the Caturra variety that has garnered attention from farmers in Colombia for its unique flavor profile. If that’s not enough, the variety offers strong resistance to leaf rust and a high yield. Further research is still required to fully understand Catturón’s background and potential, but the flavor profile is clear.

The “honey” in honey-processed coffee is unrelated to honey from bees. The term honey refers to the mucilage that surrounds the coffee at the parchment skin. The profile of honey coffees is strongly dependent upon the amount of the coffee mucilage (ie – honey) that is left on the coffee during fermentation. In general, the more mucilage – or honey – left on the bean during fermentation, the sweeter the coffee will be.

The cup profile of honey-processed coffees sits strongly in the middle of washed and natural processed coffees. Honey processing generally yields a fruity cup. However, honeys don’t usually have the fruit-bomb effect or the volatility of some naturals. In contrast to washed coffees, honeys often result in a rounder acidity and a more complex mouthfeel. Finally, honey processing is far less water-intensive than washed processing.

Over half a million families dedicate their livelihoods to producing unroasted Colombia green coffee on small farms that dot the country’s volcanic mountain ranges. As the world’s third-largest producing country, the volume, quality, and variety that comes out of Colombia year-round is staggering. Coffee from Colombia is never dull, and with 16 coffee-producing regions along three mountain ranges and two harvests each year, Colombia always has fresh coffee on hand.