Colombian Coffee Origins and History: Introduction to the Dividing Line Estate in Central and South America

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Colombia: The World's Third Largest Coffee Producer

As the world's third-largest coffee producer, Colombia is also the largest producer of washed Arabica coffee. Currently, up to 40% of all exported coffee beans are of specialty grade. It's not surprising that you can find Colombian coffee in many coffee shops. At FrontStreet Coffee, for example, you'll find various varieties available as pour-over, including Rose Valley, Hanayon, Ombligo, Sidra, and Huila.

Today, FrontStreet Coffee will start with Colombia's coffee cultivation story and take you on a virtual tour of this premium coffee-producing country.

Colombian Coffee History

According to FrontStreet Coffee's research, coffee first appeared in Colombia dates back to the 19th century. Don Mariano Ospina Rodriguez was one of Colombia's earliest coffee pioneers who dedicated himself to coffee cultivation experiments.

In 1835, Don Mariano established an experimental coffee plantation in Fredonia, Antioquia Province. Leveraging his extensive knowledge and experience in coffee cultivation, Don Mariano began promoting and teaching coffee farming to Colombian farmers.

In 1857, Don Mariano was elected President of Colombia.

In 1879, the Colombian government passed the Coffee Act to promote coffee cultivation.

In 1880, Don Mariano published the first textbook on coffee cultivation techniques titled "Coffee Cultivation: Basic Concepts All Farmers Can Master." Shortly thereafter, the price of Colombian coffee in the New York market rose from 10.6 cents per pound in 1887 to 18.8 cents per pound in 1893.

During the 1920s-1930s, the Colombian government implemented land reforms, providing support to small producers. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee believes that the success of Colombia's coffee industry is inseparable from the marketing efforts of the National Federation of Coffee Growers (FNC).

In 1927, the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia was established in Medellín. It is a union that brings together 560,000 coffee-producing families from 22 provinces and 590 cities across the country. The first president of the FNC was Luis Mariano Ospina Pérez, grandson of President Ospina. Under Ospina's leadership, the FNC successfully consolidated the country's coffee industry and achieved tremendous success in the global market. This initiative also led to coffee becoming Colombia's main export crop, forever changing the country's economy.

Colombian Coffee Growing Regions

Colombia is located in the northern part of South America. From the map, we can see that Colombian coffee growing areas are distributed along the Andes Mountains, from south to north, with growing regions mainly distributed throughout the western part of the country. Due to the wide distribution of growing areas, different geographical factors and climate characteristics create different coffee production seasons, meaning Colombia can harvest coffee year-round.

Colombia has high growing altitudes, ranging between 1,000-2,500 meters. Influenced by the diverse terrain of the Andes Mountains, this area enjoys rich microclimates, abundant rainfall, and an average annual temperature of around 18°C, which is ideal for coffee tree growth. This is the primary reason for Colombia's superior coffee quality. Here, 30-40% of the rural population depends on coffee production. Local agriculture is managed through small-scale farm models, and coffee cultivation is no exception. The farms are not large, typically around two hectares. Farm owners carefully tend to the plants within their gardens, and locals plant tall trees or banana trees around coffee trees to provide shade.

By geographical location, Colombian coffee growing areas can be divided into three regions: northern, central, and southern, with the highest quality coffee beans mainly distributed in the southern region. Below, FrontStreet Coffee will discuss several representative regions: Huila, Cauca, Nariño, and Santander.

Colombian Premium Coffee Estate Representative - Sidra

At the 2022 World Barista Championship, champion barista Anthony Douglas chose Colombian Sidra coffee beans. Coincidentally, at the 2019 World Barista Championship, that year's champion barista Jooyeon Jeon also chose Sidra coffee (though from Ecuador). This made people start paying attention to what Sidra coffee is.

FrontStreet Coffee, through research, found that Sidra coffee originally comes from Pichincha Province, Ecuador, where locals call the variety Sydra. According to sources, Sidra is a laboratory variety, a hybrid of Typica and Red Bourbon. Later, through genetic comparison, it was discovered that Sidra coffee shares similar genes with Ethiopian native varieties, leading some scholars to speculate that Sidra is a hybrid of Ethiopian experimental research varieties and local Ecuadorian Bourbon varieties. Currently, the Sidra variety is mainly grown in producing countries like Ecuador and Colombia.

Following the exposure from Anthony Douglas's competition, people began seeking the champion barista's coffee beans. The Sidra coffee beans used by Anthony came from Finca El Diviso in Colombia's Huila region.

Where is Finca El Diviso?

Finca El Diviso is located in one of Colombia's most famous coffee regions, Huila, at an altitude of approximately 2,100 meters, covering an area of 14 hectares. This is a family-run coffee estate founded by Jose Uribe Lasso in 1996, with over 25 years of coffee cultivation experience.

It is currently mainly operated by Nestor Lasso, who is young and full of drive. His grandfather introduced him to the magnificent world of coffee, his father inherited this farm with superior coffee cultivation abilities, and influenced by this family, Nestor continuously strives for excellence in coffee cultivation and processing. He grows twelve varieties including Caturra, Colombia, Sidra, Castillo, Geisha, and Bourbon.

Nestor's family manages the estate together, continuously improving coffee bean quality, which has also brought better returns to Nestor. They have successfully established a new large-scale farm, cultivating and producing even higher-quality coffee beans. They continue to work hard, hoping to become a great family estate. For Nestor, Finca El Diviso is a lucky new beginning. He believes that Huila's land is very fertile, and any hardworking person can escape poverty by growing coffee crops on nutrient-rich soil.

What are the characteristics of FrontStreet Coffee's Sidra?

Although genetic testing has shown that Sidra has genetic connections with Ethiopian coffee varieties, it is currently mainly grown in Colombia and Ecuador, distributed at altitudes between 1,650-1,800 meters. Additionally, some origins have small-scale experimental cultivation of Sidra varieties.

Sidra plants have thick trunks and can grow up to 4 meters tall. They require appropriate shade when planted, are immune to multiple pests but susceptible to leaf rust and coffee berry disease. The leaves are slender and have five-petal flowers. The fruit distribution is dense, resulting in high yields, and the fruit is larger and rounder than most Arabica varieties. The green beans are slender and somewhat similar to Geisha.

Given that Sidra is currently still relatively rare in cultivation and possesses floral and fruity characteristics comparable to Geisha, exhibiting flavors such as peach, citrus, grape, and honey, with moderate acidity and a round mouthfeel, its price is relatively high.

FrontStreet Coffee has also introduced Sidra coffee beans from Finca El Diviso. These coffee beans undergo double anaerobic washed processing, highlighting the coffee's rich acidity. FrontStreet Coffee uses medium-light roast, and cupping notes reveal rich fruit flavors of apricot, citrus, and grape.

FrontStreet Coffee's Sidra Pour-over Parameters

Coffee Amount: 15g

Ratio: 1:15

Water Temperature: 91°C

Grind Size: Medium-fine grind (80% pass-through rate with #20 sieve)

Pouring Method: Three-stage pour

First stage: Pour 30ml and bloom for 30 seconds. Second stage: Pour 120ml in a small circular motion, wait until the water level drops to half, then third stage: Pour 90ml in a small circular motion. Total extraction time is 2 minutes.

Important Notice :

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