Colombian Coffee
Columbia is the third largest coffee producer in the world and if we are talking the Arabica bean, they are the top producer. Coffee is the most important business in Columbia and they take it very seriously. That is also why they make such an amazing cup of coffee.
Region
One thing about Columbia is the deadly mountain roads where the coffee grows. The beans are picked by hand and they cannot be shipped like soybeans or corn, because large trucks cannot access the roads. Therefore, bags are filled with beans and the bean bags are placed on luggage racks of rickety buses that can get into the area. Bags are collected and stored in warehouses. Therefore, tons of labor goes into the production of Columbian coffee beans.
Coffee Regions
Columbia is a region full of lush Andean Rainforest with 80 inches of rainfall per year. There are no freezing temperatures, which will kill a coffee crop. The rich and volcanic soil is highly beneficial to coffee growth. The high elevation also provides high quality and fruit-flavored coffee. The Northern regions are less acidic and have flavors with traces of nut and chocolate. The Southern areas tend to have higher acidity and citrus tones. The Central regions have an herbal, fruity flavor with a medium acidity. We have a single-origin coffee from the Eje Cafetero region of Columbia that is a medium-dark roast and it makes an excellent cup of coffee.
Flavor
Columbian coffee is mellow in acidity and sweet with a medium-body. There are hints of nutty notes and a caramel sweetness with a creamy aftertaste. This type of bean can be brewed in a variety of ways to pull out all of the flavors that can exist. Columbian coffee beans can be roasted light or dark, but the dark roast is the most balanced and full-bodied.
Coffee Tasting
When you produce world-class coffee, you take it seriously. The coffee warehouses will have coffee tastings just like wine tastings. Organizers will put out cups with three distinctly different coffee varieties and the testers will assess the color, aroma and other properties of the ground beans. Then baristas arrive with steaming pots of hot water used to steep the coffees and take in the aroma again. You then sip and swirl the coffee in your mouth and spit into a waste container. This is called cupping and is the process for taste-testing the perfect cup of coffee.
Colombian Coffee Brewing
Pour-over coffee with a medium-coarse grind can provide a signature bitter taste and the sweet caramel flavor will also come out. You can also do a French press with a coarse ground coffee bean. Leave it to steep for 3 to 5 minutes and then press it through for a thick, bittersweet and honey like cup of the perfect coffee. Another method for brewing is called the siphon method where cloth, heat and pressure are used to infuse water with coffee beans. The grind is much finer is this type of brew and you end up with a full-bodied taste that is not as sweet, but more fruity in flavor.