Introduction to Colombia Kogui Estate (Snow Peak Estate) and Colombian Coffee

The Kogui People and Their Heritage

"Kogui" can also be spelled as "Kogi" or "Cogui," which means "Jaguar" in the Kogui language. The Kogui people originate from Native American groups and have inhabited the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in Colombia since pre-Columbian times to the present day. The Kogui people live in harmony with their environment and are skilled in slash-and-burn agriculture. Each family typically has farms at different altitudes where they grow various crops to meet their daily needs, while also raising highland cattle.

The Kogui people consider themselves descendants of the prosperous Tairona culture that flourished before Spanish colonial rule. According to historical records from the Library of Congress, the Tairona culture was invaded and driven out by Caribbean peoples around 1000 AD, forcing them to migrate to highland settlements. Because of this past, the influence of Spanish colonial rule on the Tairona culture was minimized to the lowest degree, allowing greater preservation. Like many ancient myths about the center of the world, Kogui mythology teaches their people that they are "elder brothers of humanity," a group living in "the heart of the world (Santa Marta in the Sierra Nevada)."

Sierra Nevada Coffee Origins

The Sierra Nevada mountain range located within Colombia is the highest mountain range in the country, and the Sierra Nevada is one of the branches of the Andes Mountains. Its peaks are covered with snow year-round, reaching an altitude of 5,770 meters. The specialty coffee beans produced in this mountainous region are named after the mountain range: Sierra Nevada. 60% of the coffee beans produced in the Sierra Nevada mountains are purchased by the FNC (Colombian Coffee Growers Federation). As their reputation has gradually grown in recent years, these local small farmers have begun to form cooperatives. After traders and coffee merchants came one after another to negotiate coffee orders, they began to have the opportunity to use "Sierra Nevada" or "Snow Cap" as names other than small producing areas to mark their own labels. Taking Kogui as an example, because it is cultivated by indigenous Indian groups (that is, the Kogui people), traditional portraits of Kogui people are used as distinguishing marks on burlap bags. Therefore, this batch of Snow Cap coffee is labeled as "Kogui Snow Cap."

The Kogui people are mainly distributed in the eastern and southern regions of the mountain area. In recent years, through the efforts of a "Land Restitution" program by the Colombian government, some Kogui people have obtained land restitution and received guidance and assistance in cultivating and processing high-quality coffee, with substantial progress! Kogui Snow Cap is grown in high-altitude regions between 1,300-1,500 meters. The tree species belongs to the Typica variety, and the cultivation mode is mainly high-altitude terraced cultivation, creating beautiful scenery. Coupled with the sweet mountain spring water, the coffee they grow and produce is also one of the representative specialty coffees that Colombia has been vigorously promoting in recent years.

Coffee Processing and Export

Several rivers flow from the Santa Marta Snow Capped mountain range, which is covered with snow year-round, to this region. The coffee producing area is located in the valley between these mountains. Currently, about 300 hectares of land are used to grow coffee. After the coffee cherries are harvested, farmers use the snowmelt water from the Snow Cap mountains to perform fermentation, washing, and other processing operations, then use the full sun-drying method to dry the coffee. After farmers collect the coffee, it is sent to a processing plant called "Simon Bolivar" for final processing. This processing plant is located in Santa Marta City, which is also an export port. Exporters take advantage of this port's geographical convenience to ship coffee to coffee enthusiasts around the world.

Brewing Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee suggests brewing parameters:

• Pour-over: V60 dripper, Fuji R440 grind 3.5, water temperature around 90°C
• French press: Recommended grind setting 4, water temperature 90°C
• Siphon: Recommended grind setting 4, water temperature 90°C-91°C
• AeroPress: Recommended grind setting 3.5, water temperature 90°C

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