Colombia
Dario Martinez

Washed process Caturra

Flavour: nashi pear, currants, treacle

Body: Acidity:

We’re back in Tolima with this delivery, a region that’s proving to be one of our favourites in Colombia this past year. Dario’s farm, Los Sauces is located in a small village near Rio Blanco.

He has been running the farm for around seven years, and is currently growing three varietals on the 7 hectare farm: the Caturra that we’re sharing in this delivery, as well as Castillo and Gesha.

Dario Martinez at Los Sauces Dario Martinez at the farm Photo: Caravela Coffee

Dario has been working with Caravela Coffee, our export partner in Colombia, for around two years and he says the move to specialty coffee is making a big difference.

By focusing on higher quality, he’s receiving premiums over commodity coffee prices that have helped provide better for his family, and improve his farm to produce even better quality coffee. He’s also able to focus on running the farm more sustainably.

Across the whole farm, he’s now producing mostly AA grade (the second-highest in Colombia’s grading system) and 20% the highest grade: AAA.

Dario Martinez Photo: Caravela Coffee

On Los Sauces he also grows sugar cane, plantain and corn to diversify his income and ensure he’s producing crops throughout the year and not just the main coffee harvest.

Sourcing and ingredients

100% Caturra coffee beans, provided by Caravela and roasted by us on Gadigal land / Sydney.

Country grade: Unknown ?

Packaging

Bag: ABA Certified home compostable
Label: Recyclable
Valve (on bags larger than 250g): General waste
Coffee ordered online is shipped in a recyclable cardboard box

Brewing this coffee

We recommend brewing this coffee 15–49 days post-roast. If pre-ground, brew as soon as possible. Our advice on storing coffee.

1:3
dose:yield
ratio

To brew on espresso, we recommend using 20g of beans (dose) to get 60g of espresso out (yield), during 24-28 seconds.

g dose

g yield

View the how to brew espresso (single origin) guide.

1:16.7
beans:water
ratio

To brew in infusion/fed brewers (V60, Chemex) use a ratio of 1:16.7 ratio of beans:water.

g beans

g water

View full recipes and videos in our brewguides

1:14.3
beans:water
ratio

To brew in immersion brewers (plunger, AeroPress, Kalita, batch brewer) we recommend using a 1:14.3 ratio of beans:water

g beans

g water

View full recipes and videos in our brewguides

1:12
beans:water
ratio

To brew as cold brew we recommend using a 1:12 ratio of beans:water

g beans

g water

View full recipes and videos in our brewguides

Producer: Dario Martinez
Country: Colombia
Region: Planadas, Tolima
Altitude: 1760m above sea level
Varietals: Caturra
Process: washed
Body: Medium
Acidity: Medium
Tasting notes: Nashi pear, currants, treacle
Roast style: Omni (filter + espresso)

Varietals

Caturra varietal

Caturra is a natural mutation of Bourbon that was originally discovered in Brazil in 1937, considered to be the first naturally occurring mutation ever discovered.

The location

Coffee from Colombia

Colombia is one of the largest coffee producers in the world and benefits greatly from having one of the most unique and complex set of micro-climates of all coffee producing nations.

The Tolima region of Colombia

The word ‘Tolima’ comes from the local indigenous language and means a “river of snow or cloud”.

Farm processes

Washed process

Machines are used to remove the flesh from the coffee cherry before being fermented in water, washed again, and finally sun dried. This process tends to result in more distinct, cleaner flavours.