Region: Santa Barbara
Elevation: 1650 masl
Variety: Catuai
Process: Washed
Notes: Apricot, blackberry, green apple, & sparkling
About: The Diamond. Oh so sparkly and clean. In the last two years Mr Gomez has well and truly elevated his coffee game. He is running multiple experiments every harvest and we are seeing a pretty epic range of flavours coming out of his coffees. This year, we see his washed Yellow Catuai in a whole new light. It showcases a very clean and sparkly profile with lots of complex stone fruit flavours. Here we have something pretty stellar. From the heart of Santa Barbara, this one glimmers in the cup.
Catuai is a dwarf variety known for its good cup quality and yields, this is partly due to its smaller size which allows for greater planting density. It was developed in Brazil in 1949 from the crossing of yellow Caturra and Mundo Novo. Today there are both red and yellow fruited varieties and it has become very popular in Brazil and Honduras.
For washed processed coffee, cherries are pulped and then either fermented in tanks of water or less commonly exposed to the open air. Afterwards, what's left of the mucilage is scrubbed from the parchment which is then dried either naturally or mechanically. The coffee is stored in its parchment until it is ready to be exported, at which point it is hulled. Washed processing tends to produce coffees with a milder taste, greater acidity, and cleanliness.
"My name is Ovidio Gomez. Welcome to Finca El Paraiso (Paradise). Hello Proud Mary!"
