Introduction to Hacienda El Alberto in Quindío, Colombia - Does Flower Valley Coffee contain 50% Geisha?

For professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, follow Cafe_Style (WeChat public account: cafe_style).

The Coffee Golden Triangle of Colombia

Mention Colombian coffee and the Coffee Golden Triangle comes to mind first. Collectively called the Coffee Triangle, the region takes in three departments: Caldas, Quindío, and Risaralda. It yields some of the finest coffee in the world and is the source of Colombia's rich coffee aroma.

Quindío - Cordillera Region

Quindío-Cordillera is a growing region in central Colombia, sitting between the Western and Central Cordilleras of the Andes. This vast land was cultivated by the people of Antioquia, whose humility, diligence, and steady progress shaped a treasure among the mountains: the coffee of Quindío. The overlapping ranges are both a challenge and a protective barrier. They are the founders of the local coffee culture, holding fast to traditional methods, which is how that culture came to flourish across the triangle and, eventually, worldwide.

Coffee Characteristics

The high-altitude setting and suitable climate give Quindío coffee a rich aroma of fresh red fruit. Holding to traditional methods is not just an accumulation of time; it also builds a wine-like fragrance. With medium-high acidity and a medium body, the cup is balanced and finishes long - the kind of natural perfection only time can produce.

San Alberto

San Alberto Coffee Estate

San Alberto Estate covers 40 hectares at an altitude of 1,700 meters and produces specialty coffee.

Visitors can stroll through the plantations, watch the harvest in progress, and hand-pick premium cherries alongside the coffee farmers.

You can also watch up close as coffee beans move from raw to roasted. Guided by coffee experts, you can brew a pot yourself and earn a professional certificate from the "Coffee Country."

In this quiet, pleasant setting, enjoy a freshly ground coffee made by a professional barista, listen to birds in the forest, and take in the mountain flowers - a genuinely leisurely pleasure.

Brewing Colombian Coffee [Quindío San Alberto Estate Flower Valley]

FrontStreet Coffee Pour-Over Reference

Weigh 15g of [Quindío San Alberto Estate Flower Valley] coffee and grind it medium - the particles should be slightly coarser than table salt. We use a BG grinder at setting 5R (60% standard sieve pass rate), water at 89°C, and a V60 filter, with a recommended coffee-to-water ratio of about 1:15.

Pour the hot water in clockwise circles centered on the filter. Start the timer when brewing begins. Pour to 30g over 15 seconds, then stop. At 1 minute, begin the second pour, again in clockwise circles centered on the filter, keeping the stream off the spot where the coffee meets the filter paper to avoid channeling.

When you reach the outermost ring of coffee, hold one ring back, then continue pouring circle by circle toward the center. At 2 minutes 20 seconds, the coffee should reach 220g and the brew is complete.

Japanese Ice Pour-Over [Quindío San Alberto Estate Flower Valley]

FrontStreet Coffee Ice Pour-Over [Quindío San Alberto Estate Flower Valley] Reference

Colombian coffee [Quindío San Alberto Estate Flower Valley], light to medium roast, BG grinder setting 5M (67% standard sieve pass rate).

20g coffee, 150g ice, 150g hot water. The water temperature should be 1°C higher than the normal pour-over recommendation of 90°C. Normal grinding uses a small Fuji setting of 3.5, while ice pour-over uses a slightly finer small Fuji setting of 3. Recommended powder-to-(water+ice) ratio of 1:15.

Bloom with 40g of water for 30 seconds.

Segmented pouring: 60g of water in the first segment, 40g in the second. Use a fine but tall stream to stir forcefully so the grounds tumble fully, but be careful not to let the liquid level rise too high or hit the filter paper at the edges.

The full extraction takes about 2.5 minutes (comparable to a normal 20g extraction).

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Colombian coffee is prized for its red-fruit aroma and wine-like fragrance, and if that profile appeals to you, a Geisha can take the same fruit-forward sweetness in a more floral direction. For a first taste, FrontStreet Coffee suggests the Panama Boquete Geisha - an entry-level Geisha that delivers the classic Panama profile of orange-blossom aroma and honeyed charm, an oolong-tea sensation, and a fine, layered fruit sweet-acidity at a friendly price.

For something a little different, FrontStreet Coffee's Strawberry Candy blends a Costa Rica honey-process coffee with a Panama Geisha, so the cup carries both delicate florals and sweet fruit. It works not only for pour-over but also in a moka pot or espresso machine, and it makes a refreshing cold brew.