Why Does Colombian Coffee Have Rich Flavors? Introduction to Water-Processed Caturra from the Huila Region

Colombian Coffee: Rich Flavors and Origins

Colombian and Brazilian coffees have both been typical representatives of American coffee flavors, but they differ from each other. Colombian coffee boasts rich aromas of nuts and chocolate, creating a wonderful taste through its balanced combination of bright acidity and sweetness. So how does Colombian coffee develop such rich flavors?

As the world's third-largest coffee-producing country, Colombia boasts diverse and vast topography. High-altitude mountainous regions and varied climates allow Colombia to maintain both production volume and quality assurance. Coffee-producing areas are mainly distributed throughout western Colombia, where the Andes Mountains—known for their high altitudes—form a landscape of three mountain ranges and two major river systems. With extensive north-south coverage and diverse microclimates, Colombia produces coffee year-round.

Furthermore, Colombia is divided into different regions. In earlier years, before the concept of specialty coffee emerged, the country's coffee focus was primarily concentrated in the north-central coffee-growing regions such as Quindío, Cauca Valley, and Cundinamarca. This was because these areas experience two rainy seasons and two dry seasons annually, resulting in two harvest periods. Even today, these regions remain major production areas.

However, with the popularization of specialty coffee, Colombia's core coffee regions began shifting southward. These areas, closer to the equator, are major specialty coffee-producing regions, including Nariño, Cauca, and Huila.

Among these, the Huila region is the most renowned. This area is surrounded by mountains forming a canyon landscape that blocks cold winds while creating cool mountain breezes, maintaining moderate temperatures between 17-23°C year-round. Coffee is primarily cultivated on mountain slopes at altitudes above 1,250-2,000 meters. The high elevation creates significant day-night temperature variations, slowing coffee cherry development and allowing more complex flavors to emerge. Additionally, several of Colombia's major rivers flow through this region, and the nearby Huila volcano provides fertile soil, making it home to many renowned coffee estates.

Coffee Varieties and Processing Methods

Colombia cultivates numerous coffee varieties, including traditional Typica, Caturra, Catuai, as well as the Geisha variety from Panama, and many new varieties such as Sidra and Ombligon.

In the early days, Colombia exclusively used washed processing methods, as the country once enacted legislation permitting only the export of washed coffee. However, as natural and honey processing methods gradually gained popularity internationally, Colombia abolished this regulation in 2012 to increase the competitiveness of its coffee. This change has led to today's flourishing variety of processing methods throughout Colombia.

Although many Colombian coffees on the market today adopt innovative processing methods to present richer and more distinctive flavors, numerous coffee farmers still choose the most traditional washed and natural processing methods. Washed processing maximally preserves the coffee beans' inherent aromas and showcases the fundamental flavors of the producing region.

Through cupping, FrontStreet Coffee has discovered that some traditionally processed Colombian coffee beans exhibit rich nutty and chocolate aromas, with soft fruit acidity and sweetness, presenting an overall clean and balanced profile. To preserve these characteristics, FrontStreet Coffee uses medium roasting.

FrontStreet Coffee's Colombian Selection

FrontStreet Coffee's entry selection series features a washed Caturra from Colombia's Huila region, using medium roasting to highlight the local regional flavors. When brewed, it presents soft fruit acidity, nutty and chocolate flavors, and caramel-like sweetness, creating an overall gentle and balanced experience.

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