How to Drink Colombian Coffee: A Guide to Coffee Tasting Terminology and Instruction

FrontStreet Coffee: A Guide to Tasting Colombian Coffee

Colombia sits astride the equator, stretching from 12 degrees north latitude to 4 degrees south. Because the country spans so much ground, rainfall does not arrive on a fixed schedule from region to region. The monsoon climate near the equator creates its own pattern, with most areas receiving two rainy seasons a year. That is Colombia's greatest practical advantage: fresh coffee is available all year round.

So whenever you visit, some part of the country is green and working. You can see the phenomenon for yourself: while coffee is just flowering in the south, harvest is under way in the central region, and in the north the cherries are still ripening.

Colombia has grand mountains, beautiful scenery, a pleasant climate that feels like spring year-round, and clean, refreshing air. Mild temperatures and humid air produce varied conditions, so harvest happens throughout the year and different varieties ripen at different times. Growers cultivate distinctly high-quality Arabica, and the resulting cup is rich and lingering. It is no wonder many people treat "Colombian coffee" as shorthand for "high quality" and "good taste."

Fragrance

Tasting begins with aroma. After grinding, breathe in the gases released by the freshly broken coffee cells.

The character of the aroma hints at the bean's underlying taste: sweet smells suggest acidity, sharp smells suggest pungency. The intensity of the aroma signals freshness, meaning the span between roasting and grinding. Aroma is made up of the most volatile aromatic compounds.

When brewing, draw in the gases the grounds release under the heat of the water, letting the full range pass over the nasal septum - from fruity and grassy to nutty. Note what you smell and try to hold onto those impressions.

Overall, the aroma profile points back to origin, while aroma intensity points to freshness. Freshness is measured by the time from roasting to brewing, and it also depends on packaging that shields the coffee from moisture and oxidation.

Taste

Savoring the taste of freshly brewed coffee is the third step. Use a dedicated cupping spoon, typically a round soup spoon holding 8-10cc; silver-plated is best because it sheds heat quickly. Take 6-8cc to your lips and slurp forcefully, drawing the coffee in so it spreads evenly across the tongue. Sweet, salty, sour, and bitter receptors all fire at once.

Because temperature changes how strongly each taste registers, watching how different zones of the tongue respond helps you catch different characteristics. For example, since heat dulls our sense of sugar, an acidic coffee may first produce a tingle at the tip of the tongue rather than sweetness. Hold the coffee in your mouth for 3-5 seconds and focus on the type and strength of the flavors. This is how primary and secondary characteristics are judged.

Nose

The fourth step happens alongside the third. Draw the coffee across the surface of your tongue. Changes in vapor pressure turn some dissolved compounds from liquid to gas, and the forceful slurp carries those gases into the nasal cavity, where the taster can analyze the aroma.

Judging taste and aroma together is what lets a taster perceive a coffee's unique character. Standard-roasted coffee typically carries flavors of caramelized products, while dark-roasted coffee usually carries flavors created through dry distillation.

Aftertaste

For the fifth step, hold the coffee in your mouth for several seconds, then swallow a small amount. Quickly suck at your throat to send the vapor left on the soft palate into the nasal cavity, which reveals the heavier molecules remaining on the palate.

The aromas sensed here can be sweet, like chocolate; smoky, like a campfire or a cigar; sharp and spicy, like clove; resinous, like pine resin; or several of these at once.

Body

The final stage is mouthfeel. Slide your tongue gently across the upper palate to feel the texture. Oiliness and smoothness reflect the fat content of the liquid, while weight, thickness, and viscosity reflect fiber and protein. Together they make up the body.

Those are the six steps tasting rests on. If you want to become a qualified taster, this is only the beginning - it takes practice and many cups before you truly feel what coffee brings to daily life.

A Final Note

The bitterness we want is smooth and deep, bringing balanced, bright acidity and adding complexity, just as sweetness and acidity do. Once you pair bitterness with coffee's natural flavors, describing it becomes the simplest part of all.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

FrontStreet Colombia Huila - the cleanest introduction to the Colombian profile. Huila is the country's best-known specialty region, with farms above 1,500 meters surrounded by mountains, where Colombia's most important rivers converge and supply abundant water and moisture. FrontStreet roasts this washed bean medium-dark to bring out black chocolate and nutty sweetness, moderate oils, and a full body. It suits pour-over and French press, and it also extracts well in a moka pot or espresso machine for Americanos and lattes.

FrontStreet Premium Blend Espresso - for anyone with a home espresso machine or a moka pot, this is the blend our baristas recommend most. Designed for cafe use, it combines the creamy nuttiness of Brazilian coffee with the dark chocolate bittersweetness of Colombian coffee. During extraction you get fine golden crema, and it pairs beautifully with milk for a rich, smooth latte. It is very forgiving for beginners, and it also works as the base for Americanos, cappuccinos, and mochas.