Colombian Coffee Estates | [Snow Peak] [Huila Province, San Agustin] [Medellin] Coffee

Colombian Coffee Estates | Flavor and Mouthfeel Comparison of [Snow Cap] [Huila Province, San Augustin] [Medellin] Coffee Beans

1. Colombia Snow Cap - Kogui Snow Cap Specialty

Region: Sierra Nevada (Santa Mata area)

Producer: Kogui Cooperative, marked as Kogui Snow Cap

Variety: Typica

Processing Method: Traditional washed

The Sierra Nevada is a branch of the Andes on the Caribbean side of northern Colombia and the country's highest mountain range, with a peak covered in snow year-round. Specialty beans from this area take the range's name, and their recognition has grown in recent years. Besides being purchased by FNC, Colombia's national coffee organization, farmers have formed cooperatives that sell under the small regional name Sierra Nevada or Snow Cap.

The Kogui are a local indigenous people. Under the Colombian government's Land Restoration Program their land was returned, and they have been guided and supported in growing high-quality coffee for many years. FNC buys 60% of the coffee produced in the Sierra Nevada. As recognition has grown, this batch of Snow Cap has been cultivated by indigenous groups and marked Kogui Snow Cap on the burlap sacks, which feature traditional Kogui attire patterns.

This batch is grown at an altitude of 1,300 meters from the Typica variety. After harvest, high-quality parchment beans that have been carefully washed and fermented are selected at the cooperative's small wet mill, then sent to the dry processing plant in Santa Mata for hulling and precise sorting and grading. The high-altitude terraced cultivation, the sweet Snow Cap water, and the coffee grown there make it one of the Colombian specialty coffees promoted in recent years. The nutty flavor is prominent, and the overall taste is rich and varied.

Flavor Description: Dry aroma - cooked sweetness, floral notes, honey sweetness, jasmine, wine aroma, tea fragrance, cool fragrance. Wet aroma - toffee, floral notes, mint, citrus aroma, acidity turning to sweetness, aroma reaching directly into the nasal cavity. Slurping - sugar, wheat tea, oolong tea, grapefruit acidity turning to sweetness, preserved plum; when slightly cool, rich oils bring out a sweet tea sensation.

2. Colombia San Augustin Orange River Farmers Association

Origin: Huila Province

Altitude: 1,350-1,900 meters

Varieties: Caturra, Typica, Bourbon, Castillo

Processing Method: Washed

Colombian coffee is sold widely among producing countries, and the country ranks third in world production, after Brazil and Vietnam. The most important factor behind that reach is volcanic activity, which has created some of the world's most fertile soils and produces beans that are sweet, rich, and very appealing, and that are easy to brew successfully. As pure black coffee or in any number of recipes, Colombian coffee is an excellent choice.

Huila Province lies in western Colombia, where coffee grows on the canyon slopes formed where the western coastal mountains meet the eastern range. The region has always been Colombia's great granary for fine coffee. The town of San Augustin has the highest production value thanks to the Los Naranjos, or Orange River, that runs through it. This riverside area is beautiful, with large lavender fields and habitat for butterflies and hummingbirds, and it is also an ancient, mysterious place in Colombia with giant carved stone forests. The people who live there protect the land from destruction. In 2001, farmers in the region united to improve their coffee management skills and established the Los Naranjos Coffee Association of San Augustin (La Asociacion Los Naranjos de San Augustin), with about 50 farmers joining, farm size limited to approximately 2.8 hectares, and a yield of 1,500 to 2,000 kg per hectare.

Flavor Description: The first sip shows noticeable acidity in the front section, but not the kind of acidity found in Guatemalan coffee - this is a subtle, non-irritating fruit acidity. Both sides of the tongue clearly register drupe fruit notes that carry the aroma directly to the nasal cavity, not strong but pleasant. After swallowing, the back section first delivers a dairy-like smooth mouthfeel, then a light but persistent aftertaste, ending on a very gentle sweetness. The most memorable aspect is the silk-like smooth texture. This is an exquisite coffee.

3. Colombia Medellin Supremo

Colombian green coffee is graded as Supremo, Excelso, and UGQ. The Excelso grade includes Kreuz coffee exported to Germany and Europa coffee exported to the Nordic countries. Most coffee shops carry both Excelso and Supremo. The professional distinction between them is that Supremo uses larger beans and is taken from newly harvested coffee, making it easier to guarantee consistent quality. Excelso is typically milder than Supremo and slightly more acidic, but both are aromatic coffees with medium-sized beans and excellent fruit character.

Colombian coffee is often described as having a silky smooth texture. Among all coffees it has the best balance, with a soft, sweet, mellow taste that suits any time of day. Supremo accounts for only about 10% of all coffee green beans. Standard Excelso is also a high-quality green bean, popular both as a single origin and in blends. The defining trait of Colombian coffee is its richness and sweetness; combined with rounded acidity, intense bitterness, and a sweet aroma, the flavor is very distinctive. It is a high-quality green bean that expresses coffee's character to the fullest.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommended Brewing Method:

Dripper: Hario V60

Water Temperature: 88°C

Grind Size: Fuji grinder setting 4

Brewing Method: Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, 15g of coffee. First pour 25g of water and bloom for 25 seconds. Second pour to 120g, then pause. Wait until the water level in the coffee bed drops by half, then continue pouring slowly to 225g total. Extraction time approximately 2:00.

Analysis: The three-stage method clearly expresses the front, middle, and back section flavors. Because the V60 has many ribs and drains quickly, pausing the pour extends extraction time and draws out the nutty and chocolate flavors in the tail.

Flavor: Multi-layered, overall clean, with a lighter mouthfeel and a persistent caramel sweetness in the aftertaste.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

For the classic Colombian profile, FrontStreet Colombia Huila is the natural choice. Huila, in the southern part of the country's central range, is Colombia's best-known specialty region, a mountainous area surrounded by peaks with cultivation above 1500 meters, where the country's most important rivers converge and bring abundant water and humidity. FrontStreet's washed Huila is roasted medium-dark, which pushes forward the sweet bitterness of dark chocolate and nuts, along with moderate crema and a full body. It works as pour-over, French press, moka pot, or espresso, and it holds its own in an Americano or a latte.

For drinkers who want the modern, fruit-driven side of Colombia, FrontStreet's La Divisa Sidra is the one to try. Most Colombian coffee has traditionally been washed, but recent years have brought inventive processing, including anaerobic fermentation - fermentation in a low-oxygen or oxygen-free environment, usually in a pressure-resistant stainless steel tank where temperature, time, and pH can be controlled. This Sidra is processed as an anaerobic natural, which converts the fermentation into more tropical fruit aroma. Roasted medium-light, it brews with passion fruit, grape, apricot, and dried fruit complexity, and it performs well as pour-over, cold brew, drip bag, or moka pot.

For a home espresso machine or moka pot, FrontStreet Specialty Blend is the roaster's own recommendation: an espresso blend built for cafés that combines the cream-and-nut sweetness of Brazilian coffee with the dark chocolate bittersweetness of Colombian coffee. It pulls with fine, golden-brown crema and pairs beautifully with milk for a rich, smooth latte, while also serving as the base for Americanos, cappuccinos, and mochas. Start with a 1:15 ratio and water around 88-90°C for filter brewing, or a fine grind and a 1:2 ratio in about 25 seconds for espresso.