Are Colombian Coffee Beans Sour? Every Advantageous Condition for Growing Colombian Coffee is Essential

This article is part of our professional coffee knowledge exchange, shared so more readers can explore great beans.

FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Colombian Coffee Cultivation

The history of coffee cultivation in Colombia goes back to the Spanish colonial era.

In 1808 a priest first brought coffee beans to Colombia from the French Antilles by way of Venezuela. The priest, Francisco Romero, required parish residents to plant coffee as penance after confession.

Colombia's famous Arabica beans, originally from Ethiopia, have weak resistance to pests and disease and are mostly grown above 1,300 meters. Cultivated in refined volcanic-ash soil, they are premium beans with first-class flavor and aroma. Located in the tropics, Colombia's climate varies with terrain: the southern eastern plains and the Pacific coast have a tropical rainforest climate, mountains at 1,000-2,000 meters have a subtropical climate, and the northwest has a tropical savanna climate.

Although annual rainfall in the coffee areas is high, uneven distribution and fast evaporation mean some regions occasionally run short of water. As a result there are 86 different microclimates between the southern and northern production areas. South America's famous Andes enter Colombia from Narino Province and split into three branches, together known as the "Cordilleras": the Western, Central and Eastern Cordilleras, named for their location.

Of these, only the Eastern Cordillera passes through Colombian territory and continues north into Venezuela. Three ranges embrace two valleys, each giving rise to an important river, the Cauca and the Magdalena. In addition there is an independent range, the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, and coffee is grown throughout all of these areas. Colombia's specialty coffee is essentially grown on these ranges. Cultivation follows the Andes from south to north and is roughly divided into northern, central and southern regions. The central region has a main and a secondary harvest, while the northern and southern regions each have one.

Because geography and climate differ from north to south, the harvest seasons of north and south run opposite to each other, while the central region's main and secondary harvests shift depending on whether it leans more southern or northern. Colombian coffee's nutty, chocolate and caramel aromas, with its moderate acidity, make it a premium specialty coffee.

Knowledge point: Colombian coffee is one of the few single-origin coffees sold worldwide that is named after its country.

In summary, FrontStreet Coffee is a coffee research hall dedicated to sharing coffee knowledge with everyone. We share without reservation because we want more friends to fall in love with coffee. We also hold three low-price coffee events every month, because FrontStreet Coffee wants to let more friends enjoy the best coffee at the lowest possible price. That has been FrontStreet Coffee's mission for the past six years.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Colombian coffee fits many uses, as the base of an espresso blend or as a pour-over single origin, and it comes in fruit-forward, full-bodied and aroma-led styles, so it suits a wide range of drinkers. FrontStreet Coffee's washed Huila comes from the country's most celebrated specialty region - the hills of Huila in the southern Central Cordillera, planted above 1,500 meters, where Colombia's most important rivers converge and bring abundant water and humidity. Roasted medium-dark, it leads with the sweet aroma of dark chocolate and nuts, a moderate crema and a full body, and it works for pour-over and French press as well as in a moka pot or espresso machine for Americanos and lattes.

For a more modern profile, FrontStreet Coffee's anaerobic-natural Colombian lot shows what the country's newer processing can do. Anaerobic fermentation, sometimes called carbonic maceration, is a low-oxygen or oxygen-free fermentation usually carried out in a pressure-resistant stainless steel tank, where temperature, time and pH can be controlled; the best-known styles are anaerobic natural and anaerobic washed. The oxygen-free fermentation converts into richer tropical-fruit aromas, and a medium-light roast brings complex notes of passion fruit, grape, apricot and preserved fruit in pour-over, cold brew, drip bags and the moka pot. For home espresso machines and moka pots, FrontStreet Coffee also offers a specialty blend that pairs the creamy, nutty character of Brazilian coffee with the dark-chocolate bittersweetness of Colombian coffee, extracting with a fine golden crema and a rich, smooth latte when combined with milk.