Special Processing Methods of Colombian Premium Coffee Beans and Quality of Small-Scale Farm Coffee

In a recent cupping of new pour-over arrivals at FrontStreet Coffee, one impression stood out: Colombian specialty coffee keeps getting better. Every FrontStreet lot I have tried so far—from Colombian lots to the Hanami Geisha—leaves the mouth filled with rich floral aromas.

Colombia's growing environment is exceptionally well suited to specialty coffee. The country combines varied topography with low latitude and high altitude, and compared with Brazil, it has enormous untapped potential in the specialty sector.

Colombian beans are processed predominantly by washing, much like FrontStreet Coffee's Ethiopian Yirgacheffe. Most specialty coffee comes from small and medium-sized independent farms, and compared with Brazil's large-scale plantations, coffee from smaller farms typically shows superior quality. On top of that, the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation (Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia, or FNC) actively promotes specialty coffee programs with strict quality controls on exports.

In recent years Colombia has also become a wellspring of special processing methods, from rum barrel immersion to anaerobic fermentation, continually pushing innovation and progress across the specialty coffee world.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

New to Ethiopian coffee as well? Start with FrontStreet's classic washed Yirgacheffe—a bean known for white jasmine florals, bright citrus and lemon acidity, and a tea-like finish at a very friendly price, making it the first stop for many into specialty coffee. Yirgacheffe, a small town in Ethiopia's southern Sidama region at roughly 1,700-2,100 meters, was only separated from Sidama by the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange in 2010 because its name had become so famous.

For a step up in traceability, try FrontStreet's washed Worka-style lot from the Gedeb area: the co-op sits at the southeastern edge of Yirgacheffe and sticks to the most traditional washing, delivering clean, bright citrus and lemon acidity with jasmine fragrance and none of the conventional bitterness.

If you prefer naturals, FrontStreet's Red Cherry coffee uses only fully ripe, defect-free cherries—first screened at the mill, then dried on raised beds and turned every 2-3 hours during the early days to prevent uneven fermentation. After three to five weeks of sun drying, the outer pulp is removed and the beans are rested. Expect classic Yirgacheffe character layered with tropical fruit: citrus acidity, berry juiciness, honeyed sweetness, and a cream-smooth body.