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How is Colombia's Armenia Coffee Variety? How to Brew Colombian Coffee

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Professional coffee knowledge exchange For more coffee bean information Please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account cafe_style ) Colombian coffee may have been introduced by Jesuit monks in the 18th century but only began to play a significant role until the late 19th century. Colombia clearly understands the value of marketing and created the coffee spokesperson Juan Valdez early on, which can be said to be the most successful in marketing

For professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style).

The History and Marketing of Colombian Coffee

Colombian coffee was likely introduced by Jesuit missionaries in the 18th century, but it wasn't until the late 19th century that it began to play a significant role.

Colombia clearly understood the value of marketing and early on created the coffee spokesperson Juan Valdez, which can be considered their greatest marketing success (see the logo below).

The marketing promotion plan was carried out by the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation (Federación Nacional de cafeteros, FNC), which created two terms "Supremo" and "Excelso" to promote coffee. These terms are related to coffee bean size but not quality. To buy good coffee, you need to ensure these beans come from specific regions rather than just being marked for bean size.

Colombian coffee farm owners can sell all their products to the Coffee Management Association at official low prices, or they can sell to exporters who might offer higher prices or might not bid at all. In practice, the Coffee Management Association (FNC) controls exports to Europe, while coffee exported to the United States is mainly handled through private exporters. However, all exports are subject to minimum export prices.

Coffee Bean Characteristics

Colombian coffee is a soft coffee variety. It has sweetness within its acidity, low bitterness, rich nutrition, and unique acidic and mellow flavors. Colombian premium coffee perfectly balances the three tastes of acidity, bitterness, and sweetness. The most distinctive feature of Colombian premium is its aroma—rich and thick, with bright high-quality acidity, high balance, and an unforgettable aftertaste. Colombian premium's aroma is rich and thick, with bright high-quality acidity, high balance, sometimes with nutty flavors, leaving an endless aftertaste.

Aroma Characteristics

Among Colombian coffees, Supremo is the most distinctive. It belongs to the soft variety, with high balance, high aroma, quality acidity, and sweet taste. Overall, it has the excellent characteristic of being sweet within acidity and balanced bitterness. Especially notable is its exotic fragrance and excellent flavor. Its quality and aroma are stable, with a peculiar flavor reminiscent of sweet potato skin. It's a sweet and acidic coffee that is very aromatic and slightly bitter. The center crack of the coffee beans appears white because locally produced beans are mostly washed. Colombia is the world's second-largest coffee-producing country, so Colombian coffee beans are often seen in coffee blends. Their characteristics lie in their acidity and balanced flavor.

Production Regions and Varieties

Colombia is the world's second-largest producer, accounting for 12% of total world production. Although its production ranking is lower than Brazil's, its coffee bean quality is excellent. Coffee trees are planted in highlands with small-scale cultivation. Careful harvesting and wet processing produce coffee that is beautiful, rich in unique fragrance, and suitable both for drinking alone or in blends. The main varieties are:

Supremo: The highest grade of Colombian coffee, with rich and unique aroma, having sweetness within acidity and balanced bitterness.

MAM: Medellin-Armenia-Manizales, three main varieties produced in the central mountain range of Colombia. Medellin coffee is rich, full-bodied, delicate with balanced acidity. Armenia & Manizales coffees have lower concentration and acidity. These three varieties are known as MAM in the coffee market.

Bogota & Bucaramanga: Produced in the eastern mountains surrounding Colombia's capital - Bogota. Bogota coffee is considered one of the best coffees produced in Colombia, with slightly less acidity than Medellin, but equally rich in concentration and body. Bucaramanga coffee has some characteristics of premium Sumatran coffee—rich, low acidity, full-bodied and varied.

Traditional and Regional Naming

Traditionally, Colombian coffee was usually called: Armenia/Medellin Premium.

A few years ago, coffee began to be sold under regional names: Popayan, Bucaramanga, Huila, Tolima, Medellin, Nariño became the main coffee-producing regions.

Harvest Seasons

Colombia has two distinct coffee production periods: Main crop and Mitaca (secondary crop). In different regions, these two production periods occur at different times.

FrontStreet Coffee: A roastery in Guangzhou with a small shop but diverse bean varieties, where you can find various famous and lesser-known beans. They also provide online shop services: https://shop104210103.taobao.com