Colombian Coffee FNC Grading System and Introduction to Colombian Supremo Coffee Beans

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FrontStreet Coffee - Colombia FNC Grading System Introduction

Colombian Coffee Growers Federation (FNC)

This entire marketing and promotion effort was initiated and executed by the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation, abbreviated as FNC. The federation was established in 1927 and is quite unusual for the coffee industry: while many countries have organizations handling export and promotion, few have one so large and complex.

Colombia | Large Coffee Plantations

To promote Colombian coffee, the FNC created two terms: "Supremo" and "Excelso." Worth noting: both relate to bean size, not quality. Mixed lots are screened by machine and then graded according to size.

What is Coffee Grading?

Coffee grading is a basis for evaluating green coffee quality before export. There is no unified global grading system; instead, each producing country applies its own. Different regions grade coffee by different standards, and sometimes the same meaning is expressed with different terminology.

Grading Based on Coffee Bean Screen Size

Grades and Size Descriptions

Supremo screen Special Selection: Approximately 95% screen 18, with no more than 5% below screen 18 but above screen 14.

Supremo: Approximately 95% above screen 17, with no more than 5% below screen 17 but above screen 14.

Excelso Extra Premium First Grade: Approximately 95% above screen 16, with no more than 5% below screen 16 but above screen 14.

Excelso EP Premium Second Grade: Approximately 95% above screen 15, with no more than 2.5% below screen 15 but above screen 12 (this ratio may be adjusted to 5% or 8% according to requirements).

U.G.Q. Usual Good Quality: Screen size less than 14 but with no more than 1.5% below screen 12.

Key Point:

Colombian coffee grading is based mainly on bean size, with Supremo the largest at screen 17 and above.

In Summary:

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FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Colombian coffee's versatility makes it a staple for every brewer. For the classic taste of the country's most famous region, FrontStreet Coffee's washed Huila comes from the hills of Huila province in the southern Central Andes, grown above 1,500 meters where Colombia's major rivers converge; roasted medium-dark, it shows dark chocolate and nutty sweetness with a full body and moderate crema—excellent as pour-over or French press, and equally at home in a moka pot or espresso machine for Americanos and lattes.

For something more exotic, FrontStreet Coffee's Colombia Sidra from the Boundary estate undergoes anaerobic natural processing—sealed-tank, low-oxygen fermentation with controlled temperature, time, and pH—which draws out passion fruit, grape, apricot, and dried-fruit aromas at a medium-light roast, wonderful for pour-over, cold brew, drip bags, or moka pot.

And if your set-up leans Italian, baristas strongly recommend FrontStreet Coffee's premium espresso blend, which pairs Brazil's creamy nut notes with Colombia's dark chocolate sweetness and bitterness; it extracts a fine golden crema, makes a silky, beginner-friendly latte, and stands up beautifully as the base for Americano, cappuccino, or mocha.