The Colombian Rio Claro Single Origin Makes A Light, Sweet & Balanced Espresso or Black Coffee!

 

THE COFFEE BEANS

Coffee beans grown on Rio Claro are produced in the Colombian state of Cauca and include arabica varietals like Caturra, Typica and Bourbon. Grown at an altitude of approximately 1760m above sea level, creating an unusually high body and acidity for Colombian produced beans.

Typica is the main coffee varietal that other Arabica cultivars have been developed from.  The coffee tree reaches 3-4m in height, with one main vertical trunk and secondary branches that are vertical and grow on a slight slant. Typica coffee has a very low production, but has an excellent cup quality.

Bourbon is a parent to a variety of Arabica varieties, named after Bourbon Island (now known as Reunion Island) where it is derived from. It’s a short tree with many secondary branches and on average produces 25% more coffee than the Typica variety. The Bourbon variety is renowned for its exceptional sweet/acid balance.

Caturra is a mutation of the Bourbon varietal that is short with a thick core, and plenty of secondary branches. It grows well in high altitudes. The higher altitudes produce better quality, but production rate lowers.

The Colombian Rio Claro single origin coffee is a sweet balanced coffee that is a superb all-rounder – great on milk, delicious black and makes a smooth pour over.

Tasting Notes: A beautifully balanced coffee that shows medium to high acidity and an unusually high body for a Colombian. Features flavours of citrus and sweet berries, with a clean finish. 

 

LOCATION

Coffee was introduced to Colombia in around 1730 from the French Antilles but was not exported for at least 100 years. The earliest exports were recorded in 1834 and from this date many plantations became quite large, until a price collapse in the 19th and early 20th century. This is when many of the smaller farms increased in numbers and the National Federation of Coffee Growers was formed to improve the quality of coffee and the quality of the lives of the farmers producing it.

 

THE FARM

Condor Rio Claro is owned by a cooperative of approximately 20,000 farmers and is located to the South-West, between Colombia’s Western and Central mountain ranges. This provides farming lands at higher altitudes to produce high quality beans with a unique flavour profile.