This year marks a decade of Farami de Dota on our list. A coffee and a farm that’s been with us since the beginning, Farami has played a pivotal role in 3fe’s offering as a roastery.

With Us From The Start

Since opening our roastery in 2014, we have had exclusive coffees from Farami every single year. We're firm believers that their sustainable approach to farming results in these fantastic coffees. From having a multitude of varieties from Farami featured on our list over the years, to collaborating with Whiplash and YellowBelly Beer in brewing a spectacular stout, the Farami has been a widely celebrated coffee, anytime it returns to us. But who is behind this fantastic farm?

The Dream Team

Located in the Valley De Dota, at an altitude of between 1600 - 1700 metres above sea level, the name Farami comes from an amalgamation of the names of the farm owners, Juan Luis Fallas and Maria Eugenia Ramirez. The couple have been working the land right outside of Santa María de Dota since the 1980s, with their original plantings having been sourced from orphaned trees, growing by the side of the road.

Since these humble beginnings, the inspiring pair have worked hard to create the award-winning farm they have today. Organic farming practices are integral to the production of coffee at Farami – in addition to coffee, Juan Luis and Maria have a passion for animals and the connection between the two. Fresh organic fertilisers from their beloved pigs, goats, and fowl help keep the coffee lush and well-fed, and methane produced as a byproduct is collected and used to power their home and small micro mill.

Dissecting the Process: Red honey

The honey process has nothing to do with actual honey, rather it refers to the sticky flesh of the coffee, or mucilage. This process sits somewhere between a natural and washed process and is essentially the same as the pulped natural method. With Red honey, the colour relates to the percentage of mucilage left on the bean, which would be more than a White, Yellow or Orange Honey, but not as much as a Black Honey, leading to a very balanced coffee that showcases a full body and notes attributed to both a washed and natural process, the happy medium!

Let’s Talk Variety: Red Catuai

Created in Brazil in 1949, Red Catuai Coffee is a cross between the highly productive Mundo Novo and compact Caturra varietals. The Red Catuai is known to have a sweet and nutty flavour, with notes of caramel, chocolate and mild fruits, these flavours are truly exemplified when combined with a Honey process!

So what can you expect in your cup?

This years Red Catuai from Farami de Dota is another testament to the incredible level of quality Juan and Maria achieve with their coffee. Expect a really sweet and balanced cup from this lot with some lovely, fruity notes. We noted Pink Lady, Sultana and Toffee, but as always - we leave it up to you to decide what you get from this gem. Here’s to ten more years of Farami de Dota!

FAQs

What’s the most ideal way to brew Farami: Red Honey, Red Catuai?

The Farami really is an all rounder. Given its smooth and balanced profile, you could brew this coffee up a variety of ways and still hit those sweet notes. In the past, we found this coffee to truly shine on espresso, given the wonderfully full body one can expect from a Red Honey, or alternatively you could brew this up on an aeropress for a cup that boasts a smooth acidity matched with a rich sweetness and satisfying clarity. But we leave it up to you, the brewer, you cannot go wrong with this one!

What is a Red Catuai?

A cultivar of the Mundo Novo and Caturra coffee varieties, the Red Catuai gets its name from the red colour of the cherries when they are fully ripe. There are other varieties of the catuai, but Farami de Dota are known for their yellow & red catuai.

How is the red honey process different from other honey processes?

The honey process can be graded into a few different colours, which relate to how much mucilage is left on the cherry when they are being washed. This dictates if a Honey coffee is more like a Natural or washed in the cup. So, a Black Honey coffee would be more similar to a Natural, in profile. A Red honey would have a similar, but less amount of mucilage left on the cherry, leaving it somewhere in the middle of the two processes. Whereas a white honey would have the least amount of mucilage and would have a more washed taste.