Coffee with Rose Aroma & Peach Flavor - Colombian Rose Valley Coffee Beans Brewing

Colombia Coffee Growing Region Information

In 2020, despite the toll the COVID-19 pandemic took on Colombian coffee production and exports, output still held between 14 million and 14.5 million bags, with exports between 12.5 million and 13 million bags. The FNC chairman noted that given Colombia's current planted area, production would be hard-pressed to exceed 14.5 million bags, and there are no significant plans to expand plantings in the short term. The country's output therefore depends mainly on weather conditions and fertilization. Colombian coffee cultivation also needs to raise productivity and planting density through technical means.

On prices, the FNC chairman said that for most of the year Colombian coffee spot prices ran at a 50% premium to international futures, allowing growers to repay debts and turn a profit. That is nothing to celebrate, however — it merely marks a return to a fair profit level. For 2021, the FNC would continue its coffee price insurance system and planned to replace older trees with varieties resistant to fungi and pests.

Santander Region

Santander sits in northern Colombia, bordered to the west by the Magdalena River, with cultivation at roughly 1,400-1,600m across an area of 30,537 square kilometers. It is an important but rarely discussed province — and in fact the place where coffee cultivation first began in Colombia.

Santander currently accounts for about 5% of Colombia's total coffee production, and the Caturra from this region has earned a solid reputation. Through cupping, FrontStreet Coffee found that Santander Caturra has delicate acidity, berry-like sweetness, and a cocoa aroma.

Finca El Arbol

Finca El Arbol lies in the Santander coffee region at an altitude of 1,700m. It is one of the few plantations in the region that grows a single variety, and the farm's owner, Vargas, has been growing coffee there for 20 years.

Caturra is a natural mutation of Bourbon. FrontStreet Coffee has observed that Caturra beans keep the rounded Bourbon shape, though with a slightly longer, curved tail that gives them an oval outline. And beyond inheriting the Bourbon bean shape, they also inherit Bourbon's superior aromatics and juice-like character.

Washed Anaerobic Enzyme Process

At Finca El Arbol, only fully mature, bright red cherries are selected for picking. Defective floaters are removed during washing, and the coffee then goes through two rounds of anaerobic fermentation with special enzyme cultures. The drying stage receives equal care: temperatures are kept low in favor of a slow drying method. FrontStreet Coffee finds that coffee processed this way carries rich juiciness and bright acidity.

FrontStreet Coffee Roasting Insights

Because FrontStreet's Colombian Rose Valley uses double anaerobic washing, the roaster chose a medium roast to preserve the coffee's fruity notes and lively acidity while still delivering a clean mouthfeel and a sweet-sour balance.

Yangjia 800N roaster, charge weight: 480g. Charge the beans when the drum reaches 180°C, with the damper at 3 and heat set at 130; turning point at 1'36". At 140°C, open the damper to 4. At 151.6°C, the yellowing point arrives at 6'00" — the bean surface turns yellow, the grassy smell disappears completely, and the drying stage ends. At 8'17", fine wrinkles and dark mottling appear on the beans and the toast aroma clearly shifts toward coffee aroma — the prelude to first crack. From here, listen carefully for the sound of first crack. First crack begins at 9'48"; open the damper fully, reduce heat to 80 at 188°C, then to 50 at 192°C, and develop for 2'10" after first crack, dropping the beans at 197°C.

FrontStreet Coffee Cupping Report

Dry Aroma: Peach, Strawberry
Wet Aroma: Berry Juice, Peach, Fermented Aroma
Flavor: Rose, Peach, Black Grapes, Liqueur Chocolate, Cream Caramel

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Tips

Filter: Hario V60 #01
Water Temperature: 90°C
Coffee Amount: 15g
Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:15
Grind Size: Medium-fine (77% pass-through rate on a #20 sieve)

FrontStreet's segmented pouring method: Start with 30g of water to fully wet the coffee bed into a "hamburger" shape and bloom for 30s (if no "hamburger" forms, check whether the beans have gone stale or the grind is too coarse). For the second pour, at 50s on the timer, pour up to 125g, then wait for the water level to fall to two-thirds of the coffee bed. For the third pour, at 1'40", pour up to 225g and let the coffee drain completely. Total extraction time is 1'50". Once brewing is done, gently swirl the server so the coffee is fully uniform before tasting.

FrontStreet Coffee Colombian Anaerobic Rose Valley: Flavor in the Cup

The sweet aroma of peach arrives wrapped in rose fragrance, with the fine sweet-sour character of black grapes and the silky mouthfeel of cream toffee, finishing on a lingering note of liqueur chocolate.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If the Rose Valley's anaerobic character captivated you, FrontStreet's Colombia Pink Bourbon (Xi Zhua) coffee explores the same innovative territory from another angle. Colombian coffee was traditionally washed across the board, but in recent years creative processing has taken hold — most famously anaerobic fermentation, sometimes called carbonic maculation. In essence, the coffee ferments in a low-oxygen or oxygen-free environment inside a pressure-rated stainless tank, with temperature, time, and pH all carefully controlled to steer the fermentation.

FrontStreet's Pink Bourbon uses an anaerobic natural process, which transforms the coffee into a richer expression of tropical fruit aromas. Roasted medium-light, it shines across pour-over, cold brew, drip bags, and the moka pot, revealing layered aromas of passion fruit, grape, apricot, and dried fruit — a natural next step for anyone who loves the exotic, fruit-forward side of Colombian coffee.