Processing Deep Dive: Catur Coffee Company
Catur uses the innovative process of inoculation to draw out flavours from within the coffee. This process involves adding yeast to the tanks during the fermentation process. By utilizing specific strains of yeast, they can control the flavour development of the coffee.
"Mikael always dreamed of competing on the world stage using Indonesian coffee, but he always ended up using Panamanian coffee, so he went back and was like, ‘How can I use our terroir to our advantage’? He realized he had to control the fermentation, so with three Ph.D. Microbiologists on his team, they studied fermentation and how to make coffee taste better through the fermentation tanks,” Conor Conway, the Founder of Epoch Chemistry and the Head of Sales at Forward Coffee, shared.
Catur employs multiple strains of yeast to develop its four flavour categories. Mikael Jasin, the founder of Catur, explains the characteristics of each profile:
“SENJA means sunset in Sanskrit. Just like the different colour and stages of the sunset, this taste profile is signified by a combination of deeper and complex vibrancy with an accompanying fruit sweetness and rounded body. Senja utilizes blending techniques as well as bacteria and fungi-based inoculants.”
“BUMI means earth in Bahasa Indonesia, the official language of the country. It is our take on a classic Indonesian profile. The coffees under BUMI taste profile have the same chocolatey, brown spices and sweetness that people like about Indonesian coffee but elevated with extra vibrancy and structure.”
“PUCUK means the tip of a tea leaf in Sanskrit. This taste profile includes tea-like elegance with calmer fruit notes. We were able to achieve this through the combination of yeast, bacteria and fungi-based inoculants as well as utilizing the honey processing style.”
“KAMALA means lotus as well as pale red in Sanskrit. This is our take on what Indonesian coffees could be under experimental yet directed post-harvest techniques. KAMALA offers different arrays of fruity, boozy and out-of-this-world flavours! We achieved this through the use of mostly anaerobic natural techniques as well as trial-based inoculants.