Colombian Premium Coffee Beans | Introduction to Colombian Premium Coffee Growing Regions

Colombian coffee began to exert global influence as early as the 1910s, thanks to a distinct market vision and marketing strategy. Most of that promotion came from the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation, the FNC, which created famous concepts such as "Mountain Grown Coffee." As the domestic coffee industry developed, the FNC's role grew more significant. Beyond managing coffee operations and production, its influence reached deep into the places coffee is grown and into social infrastructure. As the organization expanded, however, its bureaucratic problems became increasingly severe.

High-quality Colombian coffee offers diverse flavor profiles. Some lots are rich and chocolatey, others deliciously jam-like, and the differences between growing regions are extremely significant. In recent years, anaerobic fermentation processing has gained global popularity, and its distinctive character can even challenge the traditional regional flavors inherent to a bean.

FrontStreet Coffee sources beans from major growing regions worldwide. In its Colombian selection, both traditional washed coffees and the anaerobic processed beans mentioned above are available.

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Huila, in the southern part of Colombia's central mountain range, is the country's best-known specialty coffee region. Surrounded by hills and mountains, it plants at elevations above 1500 meters, and the country's most important rivers converge here, bringing abundant water and humidity. FrontStreet Colombia Washed Huila is the place to start if you want to understand the region: it is roasted medium-dark, which brings out dark chocolate and nutty sweetness with moderate oils and a full body. It works for pour-over and French press, and it is just as capable in a moka pot or espresso machine for an Americano or a latte.

Colombian coffee was traditionally washed, but innovative processing has become popular in recent years. Anaerobic fermentation, also called carbonic maceration, is simply fermentation in a low-oxygen or oxygen-free environment, usually in a pressure-resistant stainless steel tank where temperature, time, pH, and other variables can be controlled. The best-known styles are anaerobic natural and anaerobic washed. FrontStreet Colombia Frontera Estate Sidra uses anaerobic natural processing, and the oxygen-free fermentation converts more tropical fruit aromas into the bean; at a medium-light roast, whether you brew it as pour-over, cold brew, drip bag, or moka pot, you get complex, intense notes of passionfruit, grape, apricot, and dried fruit.

For anyone with a home espresso machine or a moka pot, FrontStreet Specialty Blend is a strong recommendation. Built specifically for coffee shops, it combines the creamy nuttiness of Brazilian coffee with the dark chocolate bittersweetness of Colombian coffee, and pulls with a fine golden crema. It is excellent with milk for a rich, smooth latte, friendly to beginners, and works as the base for Americanos, cappuccinos, and mochas.