Colombia Washed Coffee - Colombia Finca Programa Dry Fermentation Washed Competition Batch

Professional Coffee Knowledge Exchange

FrontStreet Coffee - Colombian El Plan Estate Dry Fermentation Washed Specialty Coffee Introduction

Colombia sits along the Andes Mountains, where the climate is mild, the air is humid, and rainfall is plentiful - ideal conditions for growing coffee. Geographically the country is divided into northern, central, and southern producing regions, and within these it counts six high-quality origins: Sierra Nevada, Santander, Cauca, Huila, Narino, and the Paisaje Cultural Cafetero.

Narino Province (NARINO)

Capital: Pasto. Several of Colombia's finest coffees grow here, and their quality is remarkably impressive. Yet cultivating coffee in this high-altitude mountain region is a real challenge. The proximity to the equator combined with warm, humid air currents off the Pacific keeps the coffee trees alive and productive. Farming here is typically done by smallholders - more than 40,000 coffee growers produce extremely high-quality beans, of which 17% are the Castillo variety.

In 2016, Colombia withdrew from the Cup of Excellence (COE) for the first time and, in the same year, launched its own nationwide green bean competition, Land of Diversity.

Judges evaluate each coffee on five aspects: acidity, clean cup, body, balance, and distinctive flavor characteristics. Under such rigorous evaluation, only the top five scoring lots from each group qualify for the live Land of Diversity auction.

The creation of this competition not only showcases the balanced flavors and diverse styles of Colombian coffee to the world, but also encourages more farmers to keep improving their coffee through the fairest mechanism available - the post-competition auction.

This auction lot from El Plan processing station was secured in its entirety by friends of FrontStreet Coffee's long-term green bean partner Latorre & Dutch at the first Land of Diversity auction. More importantly, unlike the traditional flavor profile of Colombian washed coffee, this washed Castillo lot underwent dry fermentation (without wet fermentation in water tanks) followed by natural sun-drying. In addition to preserving the sweet acidity typical of Colombian washed coffee, the acidity is gentler, and the cup carries a hint of tropical fermented body, with light yet complex and smooth sweet-sour flavors.

Colombian El Plan Estate Auction Batch Dry Fermentation Washed Specialty Coffee

Origin: Consaca, Narino, Colombia

Variety: Castillo

Processing Station: El Plan

Altitude: 1,689 meters

Processing Method: Natural Fermentation, Washed and Sun Dried

Harvest and Processing Time: 2016/2017

Roast Level: Light

Flavor Notes: Toffee, ripe pear sweetness, gentle sweet and sour sensation

Knowledge Point: Colombian coffee is one of the few single-origin coffees sold worldwide that bears a country name.

About FrontStreet Coffee

In short: FrontStreet Coffee is a coffee research house dedicated to sharing coffee knowledge with everyone. We share without reservation to help more friends fall in love with coffee - a mission FrontStreet Coffee has pursued for six years.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Colombian coffee is remarkably versatile: it works in espresso blends and as a pour-over single origin, and depending on the lot it can lean fruity and acidic, full-bodied and mellow, or intensely aromatic. There is a Colombian style to suit nearly every taste.

If you want to explore the country's most celebrated region, try FrontStreet's washed Huila coffee. Huila, in the southern reaches of Colombia's central Cordillera, is the nation's most famous specialty coffee area - rolling hills planted at elevations above 1,500 meters, watered by the confluence of the country's most important rivers. Roasted medium-dark, it highlights black chocolate, the gentle sweetness of nuts, moderate crema, and a full-bodied cup; it suits pour-over and French press, and also pulls a fine shot in a moka pot or espresso machine for Americano or latte.

For something more adventurous, FrontStreet's Boundary Line Estate Sidra lot is processed by anaerobic natural fermentation - a low-oxygen fermentation in a sealed, pressure-resistant stainless tank where temperature, time, and pH are carefully controlled. The oxygen-free fermentation converts more of the fruit into tropical aromatics, so at a medium-light roast you will find passion fruit, grape, apricot, and dried fruit in a richly layered cup, whether brewed as pour-over, cold brew, drip bag, or moka pot coffee.