2024 Colombia Supremo Bucaramanga ‘El Gato’
This month we’re very pleased to announce the shipment of our 2024 crop of Colombia Supremo Bucaramanga ‘El Gato’. Due to arrive sometime in May, the “El Gato” is set to return to our roster of marquis coffees as one of VCT’s premiere Colombian Supremos. It is a top-tier supremo grade 17/18 screen Colombian offering. It’s cup has a fantastic balance of body and acidity, with some lovely accompanying notes of apricot, grapefruit and toasted almond.
The Buca ‘El Gato’ is produced in Colombia’s Santander department, whose coffee plantations are characterized by an abundance of forests, helping sustain natural growing environments that favor a healthy ecosystem. Amazingly roughly 91% of Santander’s coffee trees are naturally shaded, and of it’s 87 municipalities, 75 of them grow coffee. Bucaramanga, the capital city of Santander rests atop a plateau to the northeast, nestled between the Andean peaks and the immense El Tama National Park. El Tama National Park is itself a sprawling 340,000 acres of protected forests, rivers and picturesque mountains. Although no farming occurs on park lands, suffice to say these features are representative of the broader region in terms of being exceptionally well-suited for the cultivation of some of Colombia’s best arabica coffee.
2024 Buca ‘El Gato’ Notes: Apricot and grapefruit with a slight toasted almond aroma. Medium body, medium acidity.
In recent years we have had the great pleasure of cupping some fantastic Colombia Supremo green coffees. Somewhere in the course of our sampling, the Santander Department began garnering our attention – natural shade-grown arabica plots, rich volcanic soils, idyllic microclimates – what’s there to argue with?!. The Bucaramanga ‘El Gato’ is a titan in this regard.. Delivered to us from our friends, the Northeastern Colombian Coffee Cooperative, it is 100% handpicked, washed and milled by the same group of farmers and millers.
It’s main crop is harvested in October to December, but don’t forget the Mitaca (fly crop) that typically hits the market later in the year following its harvest in the April to July time frame. Colombia is one of only a few countries (including Brazil & Papua New Guinea) that enjoy ideal climate conditions which allow for them to cultivate the additional ‘Mitaca’ crop a second time in a single year.
Happy Roasting,
Kat Vournas
C.O.O. & C.F.O.
What We Have To Offer
To view a full listing of our current coffees please visit our coffee offerings page. For additional info on coffee growing, processing and roasting, please visit our farm-to-cup page.
Visit Us In Thousand Oaks
There’s always an open invitation waiting for you to join us at our cupping table in Thousand Oaks.
Feel free to email us anytime or call to speak with our friendly staff M-F, 8AM – 4:30PM PST about our new 2024 Colombia Supremo Bucaramanga El Gato, what else we have coming in, and how we can help improve your roasting business. 800.761.JAVA
