Colombia's Three Major Coffee Bean Brands - Colombian Emerald Coffee - Medellin Coffee Brewing Methods

Colombia: A Premier Coffee Producer

Colombia is the world's largest producer of premium coffee, and its traditional dark roast delivers a rich, memorable cup. It is one of the few coffees sold around the world under a country name, and the nation is the largest exporter of Arabica coffee beans. The coffee is nutrient-rich, with some varieties showing nutty notes, and it is often described as silky. Among all coffees it offers the best balance, mellow and smooth enough for any time of day.

Colombia's most important production region is abbreviated MAM, from Medellín, Armenia and Manizales, and most of the country's premium export coffee comes from there. Medellín coffee is the highest in quality and commands premium prices, with full-bodied, nutrient-rich beans, intense aroma and moderate acidity.

Agropecuaria Farallones: A Family Legacy

Southwest of Medellín, in the mountains of Antioquia Department, sits the city of Urrao Bolivar, blessed with a greenhouse-like natural environment that local families have drawn on and passed down for generations. The Farallones mountain range in Benardino produces the region's finest, highest-quality coffee, and strong sunshine has shaped a hardworking local population busy from dawn until dusk.

Agropecuaria Farallones, AF for short, is a family enterprise from the city of Bolivar primarily engaged in coffee production and trade. Founded in 2000, it grew out of Arboleda Puerta, a family with 35 years dedicated to coffee production, whose experience and achievements AF inherited. Over a decade of work AF secured a firm leading position in Colombia's coffee industry. Since 2005 it has taken larger steps, focusing on exporting coffee worldwide. The hard work, dedication and quality control of the people behind AF are what allow this land to produce such exceptional coffee, and the harvested fruit is the proof.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

FrontStreet Coffee's Colombia Huilan is the natural starting point for anyone exploring the country. Huila province, in the southern central cordillera, is Colombia's most famous specialty region: ringed by mountains, planted above 1500 meters, and where the country's most important rivers meet, bringing rich water resources and humidity. A medium-dark roast emphasises black chocolate and nutty sweetness, with moderate oil and a full body. It suits pour-over and French press, and works just as well in a moka pot or espresso machine for americano and latte.

FrontStreet Coffee's Finca Diviso Sidra reflects the newer, more experimental side of Colombian coffee. Colombian lots were traditionally washed, but anaerobic fermentation has become popular as a fresh sensory experience, sometimes called carbonic maceration: fermentation in a low-oxygen environment, usually in a pressure-resistant stainless steel tank where temperature, time and pH are carefully controlled. The best-known forms are anaerobic natural and anaerobic washed. FrontStreet Coffee's Sidra uses anaerobic natural processing, which converts the coffee into far more tropical fruit aroma, and a medium-light roast keeps those notes intact: passion fruit, grape, apricot and dried fruit, whether brewed as pour-over, cold brew, drip bag or moka pot.

For a home espresso machine or a moka pot, FrontStreet Coffee's Boutique Blend is the practical pick. It is built for cafe service, combining the creamy, nutty sweetness of Brazilian coffee with the dark chocolate bittersweetness of Colombian coffee, which makes it very friendly to newcomers. The extraction shows fine, golden crema, and it pairs beautifully with milk for a rich, smooth latte, while also working as the base for americano, cappuccino and mocha.