The Castillo coffee variety is a hybrid introduced by Colombia's national coffee research institute, Cenicafe, in 2005. It was developed as an improvement from the earlier released cultivars Colombia/F6 (circa 1982) and Tabi (circa 2002), with a focus on enhancing resilience, productivity, and cup quality. Initially, Castillo was often described as dominantly chocolatey and cherry-like with subtle hints of citrus. However, there was a prevailing sentiment that it might not cup as well as older varieties such as Caturra.
To challenge this notion, socially conscious and innovative began conducting post-harvest processing experiments. Their objective was to showcase that a hybrid variety like Castillo could exhibit exceptional cup quality while maintaining its resilience and productivity. These efforts not only increased awareness among Colombian coffee farmers about the benefits of planting disease-resistant varieties but also demonstrated that their coffees could compete and command premium prices based on cup quality.
Whereas the traditional washed process tends to produce a clean, bright cup with a medium body and in contrast, the traditional natural typically results in a heavier-bodied cup with pronounced fruity characteristics — experimental or alternative processes have diversified the range of probable flavor profiles further.
For instance, extended and anaerobic fermentation processes tend to increase the cup's complexity by intensifying fruit notes in the direction of dark, exotic, and even tropical fruits, and also enhancing mouthfeel and body.
By using a Honey - Yeast Inoculation Process, where carefully selected yeasts were added during the fermentation phase, a multi-layered profile with commanding aromas of a ripe fruit medley in balance with complex acidity and an intensified sweetness.
