Cup Characteristics
Big fruity aroma. Classic Catuai Natural. Very high toned, fruity cup that kept improving as it cooled. Cherry notes expanded and high tones modified during cooling. Black tea and blackcurrant tannins. Juicy, piquant and notably well balanced.
 
Catuai is a cross between the Mundo Novo and Caturra varietals, both of which were created by selective cross-breeding programs. Mondo Novo was the result of combining Bourbon and Typica varietals, and Caturra is a combination of two Red Bourbon mutations. This is a natural processed coffee, a brief explanation of which is required to understand the terminology. Since the advent of micro milling machines, most notably that developed by Penagos in Colombia, small farms have the ability to process their own coffee for a somewhat modest cost of entry. These machines use pressurized water mist to strip away the outer skin of the coffee cherry, and can remove pulp (the fruit surrounding the coffee husk) to a fine tolerance, leaving selective amounts of pulp to dry on the husk. When all the pulp is removed it is fully washed. When a tiny amount remains, it is called yellow honey; when a little more remains it is considered red honey, and a lot remaining is black honey. Neither the skin nor the pulp being removed results in a natural processed coffee (like this one). 
Province: Chiriqui
District: Boquete
Township: Los Naranjos
Altitude: 5600-6200 feet above sea level
Coffee variety: Catuai
Processing: Natural
Farm: Elida Estate