Flavor Characteristics of Colombia Excelso Giraldo Coffee - Introduction to Colombia Excelso Giraldo Growing Region

Colombian Exotic Giraldo Coffee

Giraldo Exotic sits in Antioquia, a department in Colombia's high Andes, where the terroir is as dramatic as the landscape.

Warm winds rising from the Cauca River Valley create a one-of-a-kind microclimate in Giraldo — conditions that couldn't be more favorable for growing coffee.

For the growers here, producing exceptional coffee is a lifelong calling. In 2004, fifteen of them, united by that shared ambition and the hope of a better life, founded the Grupo Giraldo Exotico de Altura cooperative. For fifteen years they have worked relentlessly to raise quality, and their persistence has paid off: one member took first place in the Antioquia Coffee Quality competition, and several others advanced to the finals of Colombia's Cup of Excellence.

Today the Altura cooperative has grown to roughly eighty families, all working together to produce outstanding coffee — and to build a better future for their community.

Origin Information

Region: Latin America · Colombia · Antioquia · Giraldo

Varieties: Caturra, Castillo (Castillo is the result of five generations of hybrid selection between Timor and Caturra. It inherits Caturra's compact, high-yielding plant structure along with Timor's leaf-rust resistance, and was released in 2005 by Colombia's coffee research institute to strengthen disease resistance in the field.)

Processing Method: Washed (fermented for 16-20 hours, then dried for 8-15 days)

Altitude: 1800-1900m

Flavor Description: Bright blackberry and black plum notes, with a whisper of black walnut.

FrontStreet Coffee's Recommended Brewing Method

Recommended Brewing Method: Pour-over

Dripper: V60

Grind Size: Medium-fine

Water Temperature: 90±1°C

Bloom with 30g of water for 30 seconds.

Then brew in segments: pour up to 120g, pause, then slowly continue to 225g.

In other words, a 30-120-225g water schedule.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Colombian coffee is remarkably versatile — it works equally well as an espresso-blend component or as a single-origin pour-over, and it spans the whole flavor spectrum from fruity and bright to rich and full-bodied, with some lots built around fragrance and aroma alone. Whatever your preference, there's a Colombian coffee to match.

The Huila department, in the southern stretch of Colombia's central cordillera, is the country's most celebrated specialty coffee region: rolling, mountain-sheltered hills planted at 1500 meters and above, where Colombia's most important rivers converge to supply abundant water and humidity. A great introduction to the region is the FrontStreet Washed Huila — roasted medium-dark to bring out dark chocolate and nutty sweetness, with moderate oils and a full-bodied cup. It suits pour-over and French press, and holds up beautifully in a moka pot or espresso machine for americanos and lattes alike.