De Re 296

De Re 296 — A Chinese arabica cultivar bred and released by the Dehong Tropical Agriculture Research Institute (DTARI) in Yunnan; De Re comes from the institute name and 296 is the selection number. It was selected from a natural purple-leaf mutation discovered inside the Catimor CIFC 7963 population, which is why it is sold as Purple Leaf Caturra even though it sits closer to Catimor 7963 than to the Colombian purple Caturra.

Flavor Profile

Clean and layered: bright citrus, lemon and kumquat acidity up front, apple, papaya and honey sweetness through the middle, finishing with a Tieguanyin / black tea-like note. Grown around Dehong, Puer, Baoshan and Menghai in Xishuangbanna, roughly 1,400-1,800 m; most lots are K72 washed or slow low-temperature sun dried, and roasted light-to-medium.

Brewing Tip

Pour-over at 90-92°C, 1:15 ratio, medium-fine grind, staged pours, about 1:50 total. Drop the temperature a little and slow the final pours to bring out the tea-like finish.