Colombia Antioquia Region | Mercedi Estate Washed Caturra Characteristics

Colombia is the world's third-largest coffee-producing country, and coffee is grown almost everywhere within it — though in recent years the southern regions have overtaken the northern ones. Well-known areas such as Nariño, Tolima, and Huila are all excellent origins. Small farms typically do not exceed 10–15 hectares. During drying, the beans are laid on elevated bamboo beds with UV-resistant canopies overhead, while large circulating fans keep air moving through the drying room. Sun-drying does not exceed 18 days, and moisture levels are measured every day. Small farmers believe that climate, soil, temperature, harvesting maturity, and proper handling and care for this Earth all contribute greatly to coffee's flavor. Gathering comprehensive farm data, cupping continuously with suggestions from professional cuppers, tracking consumer flavor preferences, and feeding the results back to the farms for improvement — this is the road ahead for specialty coffee in Colombia.

Juan and Andres, the owners of Colombia's Finca La Mercedes, pay tribute to their father Alonso "Mono" Guerra under the name "Menno's Legacy." Their grandfather bought the farm in 1960, when it was still just pasture. Their father worked hard to turn it into a genuine coffee estate, while Juan and Andres devoted themselves to the transition into specialty coffee. Today it is an excellent farm certified by RFA (Rainforest Alliance) and UTZ (environmentally friendly agricultural products). The estate preserves extensive natural ecosystems while still guaranteeing excellent coffee quality and ecological conservation, because organic care for the land is a fundamental condition for good coffee.

Farm Information

Farm Name: Colombia Finca La Mercedes

Farmer: Juan Andres

Region: Antioquia

Country: Colombia

Altitude: 1,800 meters

Coffee Characteristics

Variety: Caturra

Processing System: Fully washed and sun dried

Flowering Period: September – October

Harvest Period: March – July

Appearance: 16-18 screen

Aroma/Flavor: Peanuts, stone fruits, chocolate, pineapple, banana, milk candy

Acidity: Grapefruit acidity, cherry, orange — the acidity is not delicate but rather coarse

Complexity and Other Characteristics: Floral and fruity notes with melon sweetness, balanced with a high oleaginous texture and excellent mouthfeel. Not highly complex but smooth, with a tea-like aftertaste.

FrontStreet Coffee's Recommended Brewing

Dripper: Hario V60

Water Temperature: 90°C

Grind Size: Fuji Royal R-440 grind setting 3.5

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Colombian coffee is remarkably versatile: it fits espresso blends and shines as a pour-over single origin alike, with fruit-forward, full-bodied, and aroma-driven styles all represented — something for nearly every taste. To get to know the origin, FrontStreet's Washed Huila is a good starting point. Huila Province, in the south of Colombia's Central Cordillera, is the country's most famous specialty region: a circle of hills and mountains where coffee is planted above 1,500 meters and where the country's most important rivers converge, bringing abundant water and humidity. FrontStreet's Washed Huila uses a medium-dark roast, highlighting black chocolate and the sweet aroma of nuts, with moderate oils and a full body. It suits a pour-over or a French press, and also works for moka pot and espresso machine, whether you are making an Americano or a latte.

Colombian coffee was long dominated by the washed method, but in recent years innovative processing has taken hold. Anaerobic fermentation is one such new taste experience — sometimes called carbonic maceration — but in simple terms it is fermentation in a low-oxygen or oxygen-free environment, usually in a pressure-resistant stainless-steel tank, where temperature, time, pH, and other data can be controlled to steer the fermentation. The best-known styles are anaerobic natural and anaerobic washed. FrontStreet's Frontera Estate Chiroso uses the anaerobic natural method: after oxygen-free fermentation the coffee develops more tropical-fruit aromatics, and at a medium-light roast it delivers complex, intensely aromatic notes of passion fruit, grape, apricot, and dried fruit whether you brew it as a pour-over, cold brew, drip bag, or moka pot.

For anyone with a home espresso machine or a moka pot, our baristas strongly recommend FrontStreet's Signature Espresso Blend, an espresso blend put together with cafés in mind. It marries the creamy, nutty aroma of Brazilian coffee with the dark chocolate bittersweetness of Colombian coffee, and pulls with fine golden crema. It pairs beautifully with milk for a rich, smooth latte and is very beginner-friendly, and it also works as the base for Americanos, cappuccinos, mochas, and other classic espresso drinks.