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Washed Colombian Coffee Introduction to Huila Colombian Coffee Bean Characteristics

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Professional coffee knowledge exchange For more coffee bean information please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account cafe_style ) FrontStreet Coffee Colombia Donald Micro-batch Small Farmer Typica Coffee Introduction The southern provinces of Colombia (Huila, Cauca, Tolima, and Nariño, etc.) are almost entirely composed of small farms, with altitudes between 4000~6000 feet. These small farms are not large in area,

Professional coffee knowledge exchange. More coffee bean information. Please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account cafe_style).

Introduction to FrontStreet Coffee Colombian Donald Micro-lot Small Farmer Typica Coffee

The southern provinces of Colombia (Huila, Cauca, Tolima, and Nariño, etc.) are almost entirely composed of small farms, with altitudes ranging between 4,000-6,000 feet. These small farms are not large in area, generally around 10 acres, with some as small as 2-3 acres. In the past, they would mix their coffee beans together for export. Although the overall quality was good and more competitive than coffee from large-scale farms in northern Colombia (Antioquia, Bucaramanga, and Medellin provinces), it was still difficult to produce "standout masterpieces."

Small farms in the south began to change their traditional practices, selling their coffee beans individually. The annual coffee production of a small farm is only about 10 bags, with some even having only 1 bag of coffee beans. This is what we now call "Micro-lot" coffee. Due to unique microclimate environments and meticulous cultivation by coffee farmers, each small farm's coffee has its own characteristics, with quality greatly exceeding traditional multi-estate blended coffee. There are often "surprisingly delightful" discoveries. Although the coffee prices are significantly higher than ordinary commercial-grade Colombian coffee and "fair trade coffee," they are still sought-after items in the market.

Understanding Micro-lot Coffee

Micro-lot refers to small-batch (or micro-batch) specialty coffee with distinctive characteristics. Unlike typical regional or estate beans, the source range of micro-lot coffee may be even smaller, such as a particular small farmer from a cooperative, or a specific field within an estate. All of these standards are based on cupping results, with small bags of 10KG as the unit.

Washed Processing Method in Colombia

Most Colombian coffee uses the washed processing method. Each small farming family has a small specialized processor (Ecomill or Eco-Pulper). Harvested coffee cherries are poured into it, which not only removes the skin and pulp but can also remove most of the mucilage, requiring only a very small amount of water. Next, the parchment beans with residual small amounts of mucilage enter a small pool or container, which might be a cement pool (some with tiles) or a stainless steel barrel. They are left to ferment overnight to loosen the remaining mucilage, and the next day they are rinsed with clean water, completing the washed processing.