Introduction to 5 Major Colombian Coffee Bean Varieties and Pour-Over Brewing Methods with Flavor Characteristics

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FrontStreet Coffee's Colombian coffee beans are renowned for their rich and robust aroma, featuring bright, high-quality acidity, excellent balance, and occasional nutty notes that leave a lasting aftertaste. They won the SCAA Cupping Competition for four consecutive years from 2008-2011. Both in appearance and quality, they are considered superior. This article from FrontStreet Coffee will introduce the main five specialty coffee producing regions in Colombia and explore the flavor profiles of Colombian coffee from these five regions.

Colombia is fortunate to have both Atlantic and Pacific ports, a geographical advantage that plays a crucial role in marketing Colombian coffee globally. Among all South American countries, Colombia is the only one with such an advantage, resulting in significantly lower transportation costs compared to other countries. Colombia's main traditional producing regions are concentrated in the Eastern and Central Cordillera mountain ranges, as well as in the southern regions of Huila, Cauca, and Nariño.

Important growing areas along Colombia's central mountain range include the Medellin, Armenia, and Manizales regions. Among these three areas, the Medellin region's coffee features full-bodied beans, rich aroma, and moderate acidity, making it the highest quality producing region. These three regions are sometimes referred to as the MAM (acronym of the three city names) coffee golden triangle. The Eastern Cordillera mainly includes producing regions such as Santander. Although Huila, Cauca in southern Colombia, and Nariño in the southernmost part have lower production volumes, their special microclimates created by altitude, topography, and soil conditions give coffee from these regions excellent acidity and unique flavors, along with high mouthfeel grades and exceptional texture. In recent years, they have become increasingly popular among coffee enthusiasts worldwide.

Medellin

Located in northern Colombia, Medellin coffee offers rich flavors, moderate acidity, and intriguing high sweetness. The coffee beans from this region are suitable for dark roasting and emit a rich aroma. The Medellin quality exported by the FNC association has higher uniformity and cleanliness than regular Medellin. Therefore, higher-priced options often choose beans exported by the FNC association. The coffee quality from the Medellin region is excellent, with full-bodied beans and rich aroma, making it popular among coffee enthusiasts.

Santander

Located in northern Colombia, bordering the Magdalena River to the west, with cultivation altitudes of approximately 1,400-1,600 meters and an area of 30,537 square kilometers. Santander is a very important yet rarely mentioned province. It is actually Colombia's first province to start coffee cultivation and currently accounts for about 5% of Colombia's total coffee production. Through cupping, FrontStreet Coffee has found that coffee beans from this region are known for their intense flavor, long-lasting aftertaste, and unique fresh herbal notes.

FrontStreet Coffee — FrontStreet Coffee Colombian Rose Valley Coffee Beans

Region: Colombia, Santander Region

Processing Method: Anaerobic Double Enzyme Washed

Altitude: 1700m

Variety: Caturra

Brewing Flavor: Stunning peach characteristics, accompanied by rose and liqueur chocolate aromas, rich and fragrant. The entry is like drinking peach juice. It has both the high-quality sweet and sour taste of black grapes and the silky mouthfeel of cream toffee.

FrontStreet Coffee Roasting Recommendations for Rose Valley Coffee Beans

Yangjia 800N, 500g bean input. Entry temperature 180°C, initial heat at 130, air damper at 3. When reaching 140°C, keep the heat unchanged and open the air damper to 4. During this stage, the beans gradually change from the green color of raw beans to yellow, and the original grassy smell of raw beans slowly disappears, entering the dehydration stage. At 6'25", the beans reach the yellowing point, where they develop a sweet aroma similar to toasted bread. At 180°C, reduce the heat to 100, keeping the air damper at 4.

At 9'38", ugly wrinkles and black spots appear on the bean surface, and the toasted bread aroma clearly transitions to coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this point, listen carefully for the sound of first crack. First crack begins at 10'20", open the air damper to 4, develop for 1'50" after first crack, and remove from heat at 196°C. Considering that this FrontStreet Coffee Colombian anaerobic natural "Flower Night Moon" bean is anaerobic natural processed, try to extend the dehydration time to around 9 minutes to 9 minutes 30 seconds to ensure the beans are thoroughly roasted and avoid underdevelopment. Develop for 1'50" after first crack and remove from heat at 196°C.

Huila

Located in southwestern Colombia, it is one of the main coffee cultivation areas, accounting for 12% of Colombia's total coffee production. Because there are many famous coffee cultivation sites within the Huila region, the names of various small areas have become brand names and are circulated. Through cupping, FrontStreet Coffee has found that Huila region coffee has intense nutty, chocolate, and caramel flavors.

FrontStreet Coffee — FrontStreet Coffee Colombian Huila Coffee Beans

Region: Colombia, Huila

Altitude: 1500-1800 meters

Variety: Caturra

Processing Method: Washed Process

Flavor: Nuts, dark chocolate, caramel, soft fruit acidity.

FrontStreet Coffee Roasting Recommendations for Colombian Huila Coffee Beans

Yangjia 800N, 500g bean input. Heat the roaster to 185°C and add beans, air damper at 3, heat at 120. Temperature recovery point at 1'32", 98.6°C. When the roaster temperature reaches 140°C, open the air damper to 4. At this point, the bean surface turns yellow, the grassy smell completely disappears, entering the dehydration stage. When the roaster temperature reaches 192°C, adjust the heat to 80, open the air damper to maximum 5. At 8'30", ugly wrinkles and black spots appear on the bean surface, and the toasted bread aroma clearly transitions to coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this point, listen carefully for the sound of first crack. First crack begins at 9'15", develop for 3'00" after first crack, and remove from heat at 202°C.

Cauca

Located in southwestern Colombia, accounting for 8% of Colombia's total coffee production. It is a Colombian coffee origin certification region with an average altitude of 1,758 meters, with the highest altitude reaching up to 2,100 meters. 80% of Cauca province is mountainous. The biggest climatic difference from other producing regions is the relatively large temperature variation, with a day-night temperature difference of 11°C and an average daytime temperature of 18°C. The day-night temperature difference is an important factor in creating high-quality coffee. Lower nighttime temperatures and relatively higher altitudes slow down the growth rhythm of coffee, allowing coffee beans to more fully absorb the nutrients from coffee cherries. FrontStreet Coffee believes that it is precisely this high-altitude growing environment that creates better acidity in Cauca coffee and its acclaimed special sweetness.

FrontStreet Coffee — FrontStreet Coffee Colombian Sakura Coffee Beans

Region: Colombia, Cauca

Altitude: 2050m

Variety: Castilla

Processing Method: Double Anaerobic Washed

Flavor: Berry juice-like mouthfeel, strawberry jam, mint tea sensation, artemisia, basil aftertaste.

FrontStreet Coffee Roasting Recommendations for Colombian Sakura Coffee Beans

Yangjia 800N, bean input: 480g. Heat the roaster to 165°C and add beans, air damper at 3, heat at 120. Temperature recovery point at 1'32". When the roaster temperature reaches 115°C, open the air damper to 4. When the roaster temperature reaches 152.9°C, yellowing point at 6'00". At this point, the bean surface turns yellow, the grassy smell completely disappears, entering the dehydration stage.

At 8'27", ugly wrinkles and black spots appear on the bean surface, and the toasted bread aroma clearly transitions to coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this point, listen carefully for the sound of first crack. First crack begins at 10'10", open the air damper fully, reduce heat to 50 at 178°C. Develop for 1'30" after first crack and remove from heat at 193°C.

Nariño

Located in the southwesternmost part of Colombia, accounting for 3% of Colombia's total production. Nariño has natural conditions for producing high-quality coffee, being close to the equator at around 1 degree north latitude, with sufficient sunlight throughout the year. Most altitudes are above 1,600 meters, and snow-capped peaks are not uncommon within its borders year-round. Steep mountains and long, steep slopes bring temperature diversity. Warm, moist air currents rising from the canyons allow high-altitude coffee cultivation to avoid frost threats, and coffee can be successfully cultivated at altitudes of 2,300 meters. Volcanic soil provides rich nutrients for coffee growth. Nariño's annual rainfall shows a peak distribution, with one rainy season lasting from October of each year to May of the following year, and the dry season being the three months of June, July, and August.

However, even during dry months, coffee farmers don't need to worry excessively. Warm currents from trade winds meeting the cool nights produce water vapor, supplementing moisture for the coffee trees. Typically, after continuous dryness followed by rainfall, coffee trees enter their flowering season. In Nariño, after the first rainfall in September, the coffee flowering season begins. Correspondingly, starting from April of the following year, the harvest season begins gradually. In high-altitude producing areas, the harvest season may last until August.

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Tips

Dripper: Hario V60 #01

Water Temperature: 90-91°C

Coffee Amount: 15 grams

Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:15

Grind Size: Medium-fine grind / fine sugar size (80% passing through #20 sieve)

FrontStreet Coffee recommends using freshly roasted coffee beans for brewing to maximize the experience of coffee's rich flavors. The coffee beans shipped by FrontStreet Coffee are all roasted within 5 days, because FrontStreet Coffee deeply understands that coffee bean freshness has a great impact on flavor. FrontStreet Coffee's roasting philosophy is "Freshly Roasted Good Coffee," ensuring that every customer who places an order receives the freshest coffee when it arrives. The coffee resting period is about 4-7 days, so when customers receive the coffee, it is at its peak flavor.

FrontStreet Coffee uses segmented extraction, also called three-stage brewing: Use 30g of water for 30-second bloom, then continue pouring in small circular motions to 125g for segmentation. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 225g and stop. Wait for the water level to drop and is about to expose the coffee bed, then remove the dripper (timing starts from the bloom). Extraction time is 2'00"-2'10".

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