Colombian Coffee Bean Grading System and Flavor Profile Characteristics

Colombia is the world's second-largest producer of Arabica coffee beans after Brazil. Everyone is familiar with the characteristic chocolate flavor of Colombian coffee beans. We also know that coffee originated in Ethiopia, but if no one had brought coffee seeds or seedlings to Colombia, how would we have the Colombian coffee we know today? However, there are various theories about the origins of Colombian coffee cultivation, one of which suggests that coffee may have been introduced by Jesuit missionaries in 1723, gradually spreading throughout the country to become an economic crop.

It wasn't until the nineteenth century that Colombian coffee became commercialized, and by the late nineteenth century, it had gained a pivotal position, becoming one of the Colombian government's main sources of revenue. By the early twentieth century, Colombia had established a logistics system that allowed small-scale coffee farmers in remote areas to export their coffee beans more efficiently. Consequently, Colombian coffee bean exports accounted for about 50% of total exports.

If you go to the supermarket looking for Colombian coffee beans, there's a good chance you'll see the "MAM" label. Some might think that "MAM" is a single growing region. FrontStreet Coffee would like to clarify here that strictly speaking, "MAM" is composed of three major regions: Medellín, Armenia, and Manizales. These three major regions are the most renowned commercial coffee bean producing areas.

The specialty coffee bean regions in Colombia are generally located in the south. Next, let FrontStreet Coffee introduce these regions to you one by one:

Antioquia

The Antioquia region is where Colombian coffee first took root. Most of this area has high elevations, near the Andes Mountains, making it an important coffee-producing region in Colombia.

Boyacá

Boyacá is one of the earliest regions in Colombia to cultivate coffee. Today, the Boyacá region has over 10,000 small-scale coffee farmers, each carefully processing selected coffee cherries at their own processing stations. This region has a long history of cooperation with the FNC (Colombian Coffee Growers Federation).

Cauca

The Cauca region borders Tolima and Huila and is a Colombian coffee region with origin certification. The average elevation here is around 1,700 meters, with 80% of the terrain being mountainous. Nearby are two major volcanoes, Sotara and Petacas, which provide fertile volcanic soil for coffee cultivation in the Cauca region.

Huila

The Huila region is the most famous specialty coffee-producing region in Colombia, situated on one side of the Andes Mountains, near Colombia's second-highest peak, the Nevado del Huila volcano. The fertile soil, lush forests, and humid climate here are extremely suitable for coffee cultivation. Several important rivers in Colombia converge in the Huila region, bringing abundant water resources and moisture.

Nariño

The Nariño region was the first coffee-producing region in Colombia to obtain origin certification. The terrain within the Nariño region is steep, and it also has active volcanoes. The Galeras volcano brings plenty of fertile volcanic soil to Nariño.

Santander

The Santander region is a renowned specialty coffee-producing region in northern Colombia. The lower elevation and higher temperatures here make Santander's coffee flavor more intense and the body more rounded. As of 2020, the Santander region had 32,000 coffee-growing households and 37,000 coffee farms. FrontStreet Coffee's cupping of Santander region coffee beans revealed that they have intense flavors, long aftertastes, and a unique fresh herbal character.

Tolima

The Tolima region is Colombia's third-largest coffee-producing region, producing 12% of Colombia's coffee beans. The Andes Mountains and the Magdalena River basin completely surround the Tolima region, creating a relatively isolated environment.

Those who follow FrontStreet Coffee's daily bean series might notice that the series is composed of various signature growing regions. Among them is the Colombian Huila coffee bean.

The Huila region is the largest specialty coffee-producing region in Colombia. Not only is it the region with the highest coffee production in Colombia, but the quality of its coffee is equally impressive. Finally, in 2013, the Huila region became a Colombian coffee region with origin certification.

If you walk into a FrontStreet Coffee store and ask our baristas which region best represents Colombia, they will all answer: the Huila region. Colombian Huila coffee is characterized by light fruit acidity, rich nutty and chocolate flavors, and balanced taste.

As the saying goes, fine ingredients often only require the simplest cooking methods. The same applies to coffee. Washed-processed coffee beans can present the most fundamental flavors of the region, with the cleanest and brightest mouthfeel. Natural process, on the other hand, has more intense aroma, more obvious sweetness, and a more viscous mouthfeel.

FrontStreet Coffee Colombian Huila Coffee Beans

Region: Colombian Huila
Elevation: 1,500-1,800 meters
Variety: Caturra
Processing Method: Washed Process

African coffee beans are often lightly roasted to highlight acidity, Asian coffee beans are often dark roasted to emphasize body, while American coffee beans are typically medium-roasted to highlight their aroma. FrontStreet Coffee's roasters considered highlighting the nutty and chocolate notes of Colombian Huila coffee while enhancing caramel-like sweetness, so they adopted a medium roast approach.

When FrontStreet Coffee's baristas brew this Colombian Huila coffee bean, they consider its basic flavor profile and roast degree, using hot water at 90°C to extract as much aroma as possible. However, to avoid over-extraction and bitterness from water that's too hot, they choose the faster-flowing Hario V60 dripper. At the same time, to give the final cup more layered complexity, FrontStreet Coffee suggests using a three-pour method.

Dripper: Hario V60
Water Temperature: 90°C
Coffee Dose: 15 grams
Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:15
Grind Size: 80% pass-through through #20 sieve

First pour 30g of water for a 30-second bloom, then slowly pour in a circular motion with small streams to reach 125g for the second pour. Wait until the water level in the dripper drops to half before continuing with the third pour to reach 225g. Finally, wait for all the water to pass through into the receiving container below, then remove the dripper. The total extraction time is approximately 2 minutes.

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