What is the Caturra variety?

Caturra is a dwarf mutation of the Bourbon variety, discovered in Brazil's Minas Gerais state around 1935. Its small stature makes hand-harvesting and high-density planting easier, which is why it became the dominant variety across much of 20th-century Latin America, with a cup profile close to Bourbon and slightly brighter acidity.

Caturra arose from a single genetic mutation affecting the CaCcs9 gene, which drives dwarfism in the coffee tree. First spotted near the town of Caturra in Minas Gerais around 1935, it was stabilised and selected by the Instituto Agronômico de Campinas (IAC) from 1937 onward. The result is a stocky 2 to 2.5-metre shrub (versus 3 to 4 metres for Bourbon), with very short internodes and a dense canopy. That compactness allows growers to plant 4,000 to 7,000 trees per hectare instead of 2,000 to 3,000, and to harvest at head height without a ladder — a decisive productivity gain.

In the cup, Caturra largely mirrors Bourbon with some nuance: medium body, caramelised sweetness, a more pronounced citric-to-malic acidity, red-fruit and milk-chocolate notes, a clean finish. Planted well at altitude (> 1,400 m) in Costa Rica, Colombia or Panama, it routinely reaches 85-88 SCA points. Two chromatic types exist: Red Caturra (most common) and Yellow Caturra (a chromatic mutation, favoured in Brazil). It demands, however, fertile soil, heavy fertilisation and remains highly susceptible to leaf rust — which is why many Central American growers pulled it out after the 2012 outbreak.

Historically, Caturra shaped the coffee landscape of Colombia (where it long covered more than 50 % of plantings before Castillo's rise), Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras and Peru. It underpins two major hybrids: Catuai (Caturra × Mundo Novo, Brazil 1949), still dominant in Brazil and Honduras, and Catimor (Caturra × Hibrido de Timor), the ancestor of most rust-resistant varieties. For Belgian specialty roasters in Brussels, Ghent, Antwerp and Liège, a well-selected Colombian or Costa Rican Caturra remains a dependable pick: clear, balanced, easy to roast for both filter and modern espresso, and comfortable alongside dark Belgian chocolate or an artisanal speculoos.

Caturra — variety sheet