Flavor and Profile of Colombia's Medellin Coffee Region? How Much Coffee Does Colombia Produce?

Professional coffee knowledge exchange, more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee House (WeChat official account: cafe_style)

Flavor and Profile of Colombian Coffee Regions

What is the flavor and profile of Colombia's Medellin coffee region? How is Colombia's coffee production? What is the story of Colombian coffee cultivation?

Colombia is the world's second-largest coffee producer, accounting for 12% of the world's total production. Although its production ranking is lower than Brazil, its coffee beans are of excellent quality. The more famous origins include "Medellin," "Manizales," "Bogota," and "Armenia." The coffee beans cultivated there are all Arabica, with quite rich flavors, and stable quality and prices. The roasted coffee beans appear larger and more beautiful. They can produce everything from low-grade to high-grade products, including some of the world's rare finest varieties. The coffee trees are planted in highlands with small-scale cultivation. Careful harvesting and wet processing result in coffee with beautiful quality, rich and unique aroma, making it suitable for both single-origin and blending. The main varieties include: Supremo—the highest grade of Colombian coffee, with rich and unique aroma, featuring a balance of acidity and sweetness with moderate bitterness. MAM—referring to Medellin, Armenia, and Manizales, the three main varieties produced in the central mountain range of Colombia. Medellin coffee is rich with full body, delicate and balanced acidity. Armenia and Manizales coffees have lower intensity and acidity. These three varieties are known as MAM in the coffee market. Bogota & Bucaramanga—produced in the eastern mountainous areas surrounding Colombia's capital, Bogota. Bogota coffee is considered one of the finest coffees produced in Colombia, with slightly lower acidity than Medellin, but equally rich in concentration and body. Bucaramanga coffee shares some characteristics with premium Sumatran coffee—rich, low acidity, with full and varied body.

Colombia's Ideal Geographic Environment

Colombia has an excellent geographic environment: low latitude, high altitude, with coffee trees mostly planted in the Andes Mountains at elevations between 1,200-1,900 meters. The planting area extends from south to north, with staggered production seasons, allowing coffee cultivation throughout the year, making it the world's third-largest coffee supplier. Particularly, Colombian coffee is of the Arabica species, characterized by balance, persistence, brightness, and full body. It's easy-to-brew coffee, very suitable for small households, and even for office workers accustomed to quick American coffee makers or moka pots (for the lazy ones) XD

Colombian Coffee Regions

Currently, Colombia has two main types of coffee regions: commercial coffee regions and specialty coffee regions. Commercial coffee is distributed in the north-central regions of Medellin, Armenia, and Manizales, collectively known as MAM. The southern high-altitude regions produce specialty coffee, such as Huila (San Augustin), Cauca, Tolima, and Nariño (commonly translated as "Nalingling" in Taiwan).

Distinguishing Commercial vs. Specialty Colombian Coffee

How do I know if the Colombian coffee beans I bought are commercial coffee or specialty coffee?

Colombian coffee beans are graded according to the "size" of green beans (1 screen equals 1/64 inch). How do you determine green bean size? Let's "sift through the screens" together! There are three grades in total: Supremo (the highest grade at 17/18 screens, with 17 screen being 6.75mm and 18 screen being 7mm), Excelso Extra (16/15 screens), and U.G.Q. (Usual Good Quality, 14/12 screens, belonging to commercial beans! See? XD). Therefore, when selecting Colombian coffee beans, besides visually determining the bean size, you must repeatedly confirm the coffee bean "origin region" to ensure it's genuine specialty coffee.

Characteristics of Colombian Coffee

Colombian coffee (Café de Colombia) originates from Colombia and is one of the few single-origin coffees sold worldwide under a country name. In terms of quality, it has received praise that other coffees cannot match. Compared to other producing countries, Colombia is more concerned with product development and production promotion. This factor, combined with its superior geographical and climatic conditions, makes Colombian coffee excellent in quality and flavor, renowned globally. Roasted coffee beans release a sweet aroma, with the excellent characteristic of balance between acidity and sweetness and moderate bitterness. Due to its appropriate concentration, it's often used in premium coffee blends. Colombian coffee exudes a light and elegant aroma, not as intense as Brazilian coffee, nor as acidic as African coffee, but rather a sweet light fragrance—understated yet elegant.

History of Colombian Coffee Cultivation

The history of coffee cultivation in Colombia can be traced back to the Spanish colonial era of the 16th century. There are many accounts of coffee's history in Colombia:

First: It is said to have been introduced by sea from Haiti Island in the Caribbean Sea, through El Salvador in Central America.

Second: In 1808, a priest first introduced coffee beans to Colombia from the French Antilles via Venezuela. One account states that Colombia's first coffee seeds entered through Santander Province from Venezuela.

Third: The earliest record of Colombian coffee cultivation appears in the book "The Illustrated Orinoca" by Spanish missionary Jose Gumilla. He described his experiences while missionary on both banks of the Meta River in 1730, mentioning local coffee plantations. By 1787, other missionaries had spread coffee to other parts of Colombia.

Ideal Growing Conditions

Colombia's suitable climate provides a true "natural pasture" for coffee. Colombia's coffee trees are mainly cultivated in the Andes Mountains, on steep slopes at around 1,300 meters above sea level, where the annual temperature is approximately 18°C, with annual rainfall between 2,000 to 3,000 mm. Located at 1°-11°15' North latitude and 72°-78° West longitude, the specific altitude range can exceed 2,000 meters. Due to the special combination of various factors—the latitude of Colombia's coffee-growing areas, altitude, soil, botanical origin of species, and coffee varieties, the climate in coffee-growing regions and the rain patterns produced by the dual paths of the Intertropical Convergence Zone, terrain and light intensity that constantly change within a day, favorable temperature ranges throughout the year, appropriate and distributed rainfall, and some common cultural practices including selective harvesting and transformation processes, including washing and drying—the conditions are very suitable for coffee growth, with mild climate, humid air, and harvest possible regardless of season. This is why Colombian coffee is of superior quality. Colombia has three Cordillera mountain ranges running north-south, extending into the Andes Mountains. Coffee is planted in the highlands along these mountains. The mountain terraces provide diverse climates, making it harvest season year-round, with different types of coffee maturing at different times. Fortunately, unlike Brazil, Colombia doesn't have to worry about frost damage. Colombia has approximately 2.7 billion documented coffee trees, of which 66% are planted using modern cultivation methods in plantations, while the rest are planted in traditionally managed small farms.

Cultivation Practices

The pure flavor of Colombian coffee comes from Colombia's natural environment, which has the most favorable conditions for coffee growth. But beyond that, it's inseparable from the diligent efforts of local growers. In Colombia, coffee cultivation covers 1.07 million hectares, with approximately 302,000 coffee farms nationwide, and 30% to 40% of the rural population depends directly on coffee production for their livelihood. Although Colombia has many farms, none are large. Each farm is only about 2 hectares, and over 80% of coffee plantations have about 5,000 coffee trees, averaging 3,000 trees. This shows that Colombian agriculture is small-scale farming. Local people plant tall trees or banana trees around the coffee trees. During the seedling stage, shade is built for coffee trees to ensure the cool, humid environment needed for coffee growth. Due to the high humidity in coffee forests and small temperature differences, coffee beans mature slowly, which is beneficial for the accumulation of caffeine and aromatic substances, resulting in the best coffee quality.

Medellin Coffee

Both in terms of production and quality, Medellin-produced coffee is the most recommended in Colombia. Its characteristics include full, plump coffee beans, rich nutrition, moderate acidity, good balance, rich aroma, and soft, smooth mouthfeel. Besides Medellin, the capital cities of two neighboring southern provinces, Armenia and Manizales, are also famous coffee-producing regions. They originally belonged to the Antioquia Province where Medellin is located, which had a Caldas football team that participated in the final Toyota Cup. These three places form the world-famous "Coffee Zone."

Harvesting and Processing

Coffee workers go up the mountains to hand-pick coffee bean fruits (also called coffee cherries), allowing for careful selection of the most mature and plump fruits. Most Colombian coffee beans use washed processing. After medium roasting, they have a light, silky mouthfeel, sometimes with a hint of acidity, not as intense as Brazilian coffee and Italian Espresso, and are praised as "green gold."

Varieties of Colombian Coffee

The main variety of Colombian coffee is Arabica coffee (Coffea arabica), or small-fruited coffee. In contrast, large-fruited coffee (Coffea robusta) is mostly planted in its native Africa, such as the famous Madagascar coffee. Small-fruited coffee has several varieties. The world's most productive Brazilian coffee seeds are larger, more adaptable, and have higher fruit yields. In comparison, the mild coffee produced in Colombia is a higher quality variety, related to its special geographical location and climate environment.

Grading and Flavor Profile

Colombian coffee has over 200 grades, with strong regional characteristics. Colombian beans have Supremo as the highest grade, followed by Excelso; but only Supremo-grade coffee with beans above 18 screen (diameter 18/64 inches) can be classified as specialty coffee. Colombian coffee has balanced flavors with a smoother mouthfeel, like a gentleman among coffees—proper and well-behaved. Its producing area is extensive, but coffee from the central mountainous region is the best, with full body. Medellin, Armenia, and Manizales are the most famous origins, traditionally collectively called "MAM." Additionally, "Nariño coffee" has delicious taste and excellent quality.

Unique Characteristics

Colombian coffee has a silky smooth mouthfeel. People equate Colombian coffee with high quality and good taste. It has sweetness within acidity, low bitterness, rich nutrition, with unique acidity and mellowness. In Colombian premium coffee, the balance of sour, bitter, and sweet flavors is perfect. With its unique aroma, after drinking, the fragrance fills the entire mouth. Exhaling the aroma from the nose, the fragrance is very full. Perhaps you might find it too dominant, as it quickly occupies people's taste buds, thoughts, and even souls. In people's lives, we are already filled with sour, sweet, bitter, and astringent flavors—this coffee's aroma is enough to take away everything from the mortal world. What people enjoy is not just a cup of coffee, but also the moment of peace that coffee brings. The most distinctive feature of Colombian premium coffee is its aroma—rich and full, with bright quality acidity, high balance, leaving an endless aftertaste.

World Coffee Comparison

World coffee is divided into two major series: one is the "hard" coffee represented by Brazil, with intense flavor; the other is the "soft" coffee represented by Colombia, with light fragrance. The difference lies in the altitude and cultivation methods of the origin—Brazil plants coffee in hilly red soil more extensively, while Colombia cultivates in mountain black soil with intensive care. Colombian premium coffee has rich and full aroma, with bright quality acidity, high balance, sometimes with nutty flavors, leaving an endless aftertaste. Both in appearance and quality, Colombian premium coffee is quite excellent, like a woman's subtle charm—captivating and just right, leaving a lasting impression.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommended Brewing:

Filter: Hario V60

Water temperature: 88°C

Grind size: Fuji Royal grinder setting 4

Brewing method: Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, 15g coffee grounds, first infusion with 25g water for 25s bloom, second infusion to 120g water then pause, wait until the water level in the coffee bed drops to half before continuing, slowly pour water until reaching 225g, extraction time around 2:00

Analysis: Using three-stage brewing to clearly define the front, middle, and back-end flavors. Because V60 has many ribs and faster drainage, pausing during pouring extends extraction time, better extracting the nutty and chocolate flavors from the later stages.

Flavor: Multi-layered variations, overall clean, lighter body, persistent caramel sweetness in aftertaste.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473