Nav: Home > Coffee >

What is the Coffee Growing Environment in Narino? How to Describe Narino's Coffee Flavor? How Many Coffee Varieties in the Narino Region?

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Professional Coffee Knowledge Exchange More Coffee Bean Information Please Follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat Official Account: cafe_style) Narino Coffee What is the Coffee Growing Environment? How to Describe Narino's Coffee Flavor? How Many Coffee Varieties in the Narino Region? Colombia Narino originates from Narino Province in southwestern Colombia, located in one of many coffee-producing regions in the Andes Mountains near the Ecuador border,

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

Nariño Coffee Growing Environment and Flavor Profile

What is the growing environment of Nariño coffee? What are the flavor descriptions of Nariño? How many coffee varieties are there in the Nariño region?

Colombian Nariño comes from the Nariño province in southwestern Colombia, located in the Andes Mountains near the Ecuador border. It is a premium coffee bean highly regarded among coffee enthusiasts. Manually selected for optimal quality, only coffee beans that reach or exceed 18 screen size and Supremo grade—large and beautiful beans—can be labeled with "Narino Reserva Del Patron." Nariño and San Agustín are the target regions! Nariño is located in the southwestern corner of Colombia, the highest region of the country bordering Ecuador. Coffee grows on the high mountain slopes facing the western Pacific Ocean. Despite having the smallest planting area among Colombia's 14 major coffee regions, Nariño's special microclimate in its circular valleys produces the best quality coffee, earning it the reputation of being the "Pope's Holy Grail" since ancient times.

Nariño is the highest altitude region in Colombia, with some coffee trees able to grow above 2,200 meters. Located very close to the Ecuador border, it is Colombia's southwesternmost province, situated almost on the equator at just one degree north. Due to the high altitude, temperatures remain between 16-25°C, allowing coffee to thrive. Mount Galeras, one of the world's most active volcanoes, provides fertile volcanic soil and high altitude, making Nariño an excellent coffee-producing region with very distinctive flavors. Tasnaque, belonging to Yacuanquer municipality, is located near Mount Galeras and is actually a very dangerous area, but this also makes it one of Nariño's best coffee-producing regions.

Due to climate change and El Niño effects, Colombian coffee production in 2016 was severely reduced by drought, with over 50% of coffee farmers suffering devastating losses. Fortunately, Nariño's weather conditions remained relatively stable. During the beginning of this harvest season, Tasnaque and the entire Yacuanquer region were slightly affected by drought, but conditions improved significantly by harvest time, with notably enhanced quality.

Using light roast (High Roast) and brewing with siphon or pour-over methods reveals rich aromas, charming and beautiful fruit notes, and fine acidity with rich layers. It carries the aroma of dark chocolate, leaving a lasting fragrance in the mouth. The fresh and gentle acidity is particularly smooth and pleasant even as the temperature decreases.

Property Characteristics

Farmer: Smallholder farmers from Alto del Obispo and different small farmers around the farm

Region: Nariño

Country: Colombia

Altitude: 1,900 meters

Coffee Characteristics

Variety: Colombia, Caturra, Castillo

Grade: Excelso

Processing System: Fully Washed and dried on patio

Appearance: 18 screen and above

Top Jury Descriptions: Cupping roast level at 60 seconds after first crack (Cinnamon roast)

Aroma/Flavor: Spices, banana, pineapple, cane sugar, nutty cocoa, caramel pudding

Acidity: Citrus, lemon, plum, grape (acidity is not its strongest point)

Complexity and Other: Strong spicy aroma, fresh and fragrant fruit flavors, sweetness fully expressed in the aftertaste

FrontStreet Coffee Recommended Brewing:

Dripper: Hario V60

Water Temperature: 90°C

Grind Size: Fuji Royal grinder setting 3.5

Brewing Method: Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, using 15g of coffee. First pour 25g of water for a 25-second bloom. Second pour up to 120g, then pause. Wait until the water level in the coffee bed drops to halfway, then continue pouring slowly until reaching 225g total. Extraction time around 2:00.

Analysis: Using a three-stage brewing method to clearly express the front, middle, and back-end flavors of the coffee. Because the V60 has many ribs and drains quickly, pausing the pour can extend the extraction time.