Colombian Huila Coffee Region - History, Flavor, and Characteristics of Colombian Coffee Beans

Discovering Your Favorite Coffee Origin: The Terroir Question

What's your favorite coffee-growing region? Do you think terroir affects coffee flavor? FrontStreet Coffee's baristas often encounter these questions while standing at the counter. Faced with numerous coffee varieties, customers typically want to order a satisfying cup of coffee, so they ask detailed questions about the coffee bean's origin. Not only that, but they also try to find the best-tasting coffee by inquiring about the barista's preferences.

The Beauty of Diverse Coffee Preferences

Actually, everyone has their own flavor preferences, just like the different tastes among FrontStreet Coffee's team members. Some people prefer the delicate floral and citrus flavors of Panama coffee; some are passionate about the sense of history that comes from Ethiopia's most traditional and ancient processing methods; while others enjoy Asian coffee's performance of low acidity and rich body.

FrontStreet Coffee's Commitment to Regional Diversity

Each coffee-growing region has its own unique characteristics. To help everyone experience a comprehensive range of coffee from different origins, FrontStreet Coffee puts great effort into green bean selection every year, finding as many representative coffee beans as possible from each region. This is why FrontStreet Coffee arranges corresponding coffee beans for each growing region. Today, I want to share a treasure coffee region with you—Colombia. Han Huaizong also mentioned in his book "Specialty Coffee" that Colombia's coffee growing conditions are exceptionally advantageous.

Colombia: A Global Coffee Powerhouse

Colombia is the world's largest producer of high-quality coffee. Legend has it that Colombian coffee was introduced by Jesuit missionaries in the 18th century, but it wasn't until the late 19th century that Colombian coffee began to play a significant role in the world. Currently, coffee is one of Colombia's important products, one of the country's largest industries, and one of the most important sources of foreign exchange. However, leaf rust disease could potentially deal a heavy blow, or even destroy the entire coffee industry. In just the past year, Colombia's coffee export value reached $2.4 billion, accounting for 7.7% of total export commodity value. This also makes Colombia the world's third-largest coffee producer. In other words, if leaf rust were to take root in Colombia, global coffee supply would decline, which would affect coffee prices worldwide. But fortunately, Colombia's excellent natural environment means it doesn't have to worry about weather disasters. Unlike neighboring Brazil, where, according to FrontStreet Coffee's understanding, coffee production is expected to decline significantly next year due to natural environmental impacts such as frost and drought.

Quality and Geographic Advantages

Colombian coffee is one of the few original flavor coffees sold in the world under a country name. In terms of quality, it has received praise that other coffees cannot match. The country is the world's largest exporter of Arabica coffee and the world's largest exporter of washed beans, while Robusta coffee is rarely grown.

Compared to other producing countries, Colombia is more concerned with developing products and promoting production. This, combined with its superior geographical and climatic conditions, makes Colombian coffee high-quality, delicious, and renowned worldwide. Colombia's coffee production areas are mainly located around the foothills of the Andes Mountains, where the climate is mild and the air is humid. Colombia has three Cordilleras mountain ranges (sub-mountain systems) running north-south, extending toward the Andes Mountains. Coffee is planted along the highlands of these mountain ranges. The mountain steps provide diverse climates, which means the harvest season lasts year-round, with different types of coffee maturing at different times. Fortunately, unlike Brazil, Colombia doesn't have to worry about frost damage. Currently, Colombia has about 2.7 billion coffee trees, of which 66% are planted in modernized farms, while the rest are planted in traditionally managed small farms.

Colombia's Coffee Growing Regions

Speaking of Colombian coffee growing regions, FrontStreet Coffee believes they are mainly distributed in areas where Colombia is fortunate to have both Atlantic and Pacific ports, which helps reduce coffee transportation costs. In South America, it is the only country with this advantage. Colombia's main production areas are located in the central and eastern mountain ranges.

The most important plantations along the central mountain range are located in the Medellin, Armenia, and Manizales areas. Among these three regions, the coffee quality in the Medellin area is the best and commands higher prices. Its characteristics are: full-bodied, nutritious, rich in aroma, and moderate in acidity. These three regions together are called "MAM" (the first letters of the three main cities). Among Colombia's premium export coffees, most come from the MAM region. Along the eastern mountain range, the two best areas are around Bogota and further north around Bucaramanga. Bogota coffee has lower acidity than Medellin coffee, but their quality is comparable. James Hoffmann, in his book, divides Colombian coffee growing regions by province, with a total of 13 coffee growing areas.

FrontStreet Coffee's Huila Selection

FrontStreet Coffee's selected Huila daily drinker beans come from the famous Huila coffee growing region, located on one side of the Andes Mountains, near Colombia's second-highest peak, the Nevado Del Huila volcano. Huila is immersed in agricultural tradition. Its fertile volcanic soil and lush climate are very suitable for growing various crops such as yucca, sugarcane, bananas, cocoa, and beans. And, of course, coffee. This region is relatively close to the equator, which means coffee harvesting here occurs almost year-round. The combination of fertile volcanic soil, lush climate, and altitude makes Huila region's coffee one of Colombia's most exquisite single-origin beans.

The National Coffee Federation (FNC)

In 1927, Colombia established the National Coffee Federation (Federacion Nacional de Cafeteros,简称FNC) to oversee quality control. Although the federation is a private company, it acts on behalf of the government. In addition to organizing the industry, the federation is also responsible for raising funds during bountiful years. In recent years, as coffee prices have tended to fall, the federation has nearly exhausted its financial reserves. The National Coffee Federation also bears responsibilities for healthcare, education, road construction, hiring agricultural technicians, conducting surveys, monitoring product quality, directly handling 50% of total export business, and hiring marketing personnel. It is a well-funded, efficient organization that looks to the future and stays close to coffee farmers and their families.

FNC: Supporting Coffee Farmers

The FNC is Colombia's only official coffee professional guild, and since its establishment, it has become one of the world's largest agricultural non-governmental organizations. Currently, the federation represents over 540,000 coffee farmer families, promoting collaboration and joint decision-making among coffee growers, and safeguarding the interests of coffee growers and their families. The federation helps Colombian coffee growers reach necessary consensus and secure appropriate welfare for coffee farmers. The FNC also supports different areas of coffee production, such as technological research and development, optimizing production costs, improving coffee quality, providing technical assistance and planting quality assurance through technical support services for coffee growers, and ensuring Colombian coffee growers obtain better benefits.

Colombian Coffee Processing Methods

Most Colombian coffee green beans are processed using the washed method. Small farms have machines to remove coffee fruit skin and pulp. Farmers pour coffee cherries into them, add a small amount of water, then place beans with a small amount of mucilage into small tiled pools or containers for overnight fermentation, allowing the mucilage layer to detach. Then they rinse with clean water and place them outdoors for natural sun drying. If rainy weather affects drying, locals use drying machines, placing them in a space maintained at fifty degrees Celsius for dehydration until the moisture content reaches requirements, then pack and store.

FrontStreet Coffee's Huila Coffee Characteristics

The characteristics of FrontStreet Coffee's Huila coffee are actually standard Colombian coffee flavors: overall very balanced, with noticeable sweetness. FrontStreet Coffee uses a medium roast approach.

FrontStreet Coffee's Brewing Parameters

V60 Dripper
Water Temperature: 91°C
Water-to-coffee ratio: 1:15
Coffee amount: 15g
Grind size: (75% pass-through rate on Chinese #20 standard sieve)

FrontStreet Coffee's Brewing Method

Use 30g of water for a 30-second bloom, then pour in a small circular motion to 125g before segmenting. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 225g and stop. Wait for the water level to drop and when it's about to expose the coffee bed, remove the filter cup. Extraction time (starting from bloom timing) is 2'00".

FrontStreet Coffee's Colombian Coffee Flavor Profile

Upon entry, there's an intense dark chocolate flavor, with very prominent caramel aftertaste. As the temperature decreases, fruity acidity emerges, leaning toward citrus flavors—noticeable but not overwhelming, making it appear more refreshing.

For professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account: cafe_style). For more specialty coffee beans, please add FrontStreet Coffee's private WeChat (FrontStreet Coffee), WeChat ID: kaixinguoguo0925

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