Chiroso: Colombia’s Quiet Competition Star

In specialty coffee, competitions like the Colombia Cup of Excellence (COE) and respected regional quality contests serve as proving grounds for the most expressive coffees. These platforms don’t just reward high scores -they bring rare varieties into view, connecting producers, roasters, and buyers through flavour, precision, and traceable origin.

Chiroso’s presence in this world is precise but meaningful. This cultivar first gained wider attention in 2014*, when a Chiroso lot claimed first place at the Colombia Cup of Excellence, scoring over 91 points for its delicate, tea-like florals -a profile that stood apart even among Colombia’s celebrated coffees. It returned to the spotlight in 2020**, when a Chiroso lot from Los Tres Mosqueteros once again impressed judges with its clarity, balance, and elegance.

Beyond these headline moments, Chiroso continues to perform strongly in regional competitions, including the Taza de Café de Antioquia, where its clean structure, nuanced aromatics, and refined expression distinguish it from more common cultivars.

Still, Chiroso remains rare outside specialty circles. Produced in small volumes and cultivated selectively, it has earned a quiet reputation among judges and roasters for precision rather than power -a coffee that rewards attention. For Cuprima, offering Chiroso for the third time in two years is about consistency and discovery, not trends: a chance to share a variety that has quietly excelled at the highest levels while remaining a hidden gem.

Chiroso: Colombia’s Prizewinning Coffee Gem with a Story Science Can’t Fully Tell… Yet.

For many years, people thought Chiroso coffee was just a local version of Caturra, Colombia’s common compact Bourbon variety. Farmers gave practical names based on how the plants looked: shorter trees were called Caturra Chiroso, and taller ones nearby were called Bourbon Chiroso. These names made sense on the farm because they described the plant’s height and the shape of its cherries, but they didn’t reflect the plants’ actual genetics.

New research shows the story is more complicated. A landmark 2024 study in the Journal of Plant Biochemistry and Biotechnology, ‘Assembly and characterization of the complete chloroplast genome of the Colombian coffee varieties Caturra Chiroso, Bourbon Chiroso and Chiroso’, analysed the chloroplast genomes of Chiroso, Caturra Chiroso, and Bourbon Chiroso. Each genome is about 155,000 base pairs long and contains 131 genes, which is typical for Arabica coffee, but had never been studied in these Colombian varieties before.

When compared with 26 other Arabica varieties from around the world, the Chiroso group formed its own distinct family branch. This means these varieties share a maternal ancestor and are genetically different from regular Caturra and Bourbon. Each variety also has its own unique genetic signature, showing that they are true, separate varieties -not just mutations or clones.

The study also found that Chiroso is closely related to Arabica coffees from Eastern Ethiopia, suggesting it comes from an ancient lineage that adapted over time to Colombia’s high-altitude regions.

Although research continues -especially on its nuclear genome and broader evolutionary connections, Chiroso now sits at a fascinating crossroads of heritage, science, and flavour. Its remarkable success in competitions has captured the attention of roasters and scientists, making it exciting to explore what gives this rare variety its exceptional edge.

From Genetics to the Cup

Grown at high elevations -typically between 1,950 and 2,100 meters, Chiroso thrives in cool, mountainous conditions and produces naturally low yields, averaging about 1 kg of coffee per tree each year. This rarity, combined with careful post-harvest handling, contributes to its premium quality, with exceptional lots fetching higher prices.

In the cup, Chiroso is celebrated for its silky mouthfeel, refined florality, balanced acidity, and elegant sweetness, with many lots revealing complex layers of fruit, floral aromatics, and clarity that set them apart from more common Colombian varieties.
Its distinctive sensory profile has repeatedly earned recognition in national and international competitions, helping this rare variety gain attention far beyond its origins.

Why Chiroso Fits Our Definition of Coffee with an Identity

Chiroso holds a distinctive place in Cuprima’s portfolio -not as a fleeting rarity, but as a coffee that genuinely expresses character, clarity, and origin. Featuring Chiroso for the third time reinforces our commitment to Coffee with an Identity: coffees defined by the people who grow them, the places they come from, and the stories they tell, rather than by hype.

Our current selection comes from southern Huila, where we work in close partnership with InConexus and a group of dedicated producers who share our values of quality, innovation, and long‑term collaboration.

At the heart of this lot is Doña María Rodríguez, a third‑generation farmer and the driving force behind Finca Betania and the Asociación Café Origen Palestina. Her farm flourishes in a biodiverse landscape of guamo, cachimbo, orange trees, avocados, and a protected forest reserve -conditions that shape both the land and the cup and lend this coffee its distinct sense of place.

Chiroso Imperial – Coffee Snapshot

Chiroso Imperial – Origin: Huila, Colombia | Altitude: 1,806 m | Variety: Bourbon Chiroso | Process: Washed

This premium lot delivers a silky mouthfeel, delicate floral notes, subtle herbal undertones, and a perfectly balanced interplay of citric acidity and sweetness. Its character arises from the Bourbon Chiroso variety, careful cultivation, fertile soils, the unique Huila microclimate, and meticulous post-harvest practices, which together produce the clarity, elegance, and harmony that define ‘Chiroso Imperial’.