Are Colombian beans the world's most commonly cultivated coffee species?
Colombian specialty coffee comes mainly from Coffea arabica, the species that dominates global cultivation. Beans are hand-picked on hillside farms, washed, medium roasted, and then graded: Supremo is the top grade, Excelso the next, and only Supremo of screen size 18 and above is sold as specialty coffee. The cup is light, silky and balanced, with occasional gentle acidity rather than heavy force.
Production is spread across many regions, but the Central Mountain range is known for heavier body, with Medellin, Armenia and Manizales grouped as the MAM area and Narino also well regarded. Who grows coffee beans in Colombia is largely smallholder families working steep terrain, and Coffea robusta, by contrast, is grown mainly in its native Africa.
Colombian coffee is hailed as "green gold," and its intense yet balanced flavor is deeply favored by coffee enthusiasts. This article provides a detailed overview of the harvesting methods, washed processing, variety and grade classification, and flavor characteristics of well-known producing regions of Colombian specialty coffee, with a focus on the unique taste and aroma profile of Front Street Colombian coffee. From Supremo to Excelso, from Medellin to Narino, this guide takes you through a comprehensive understanding of why Colombian coffee has become synonymous with high-quality coffee.
Coffee cherries (also known as coffee fruit) are all hand-picked by workers who go up into the hills, allowing for careful selection so that only the ripest and fullest fruit is picked. The vast majority of Colombian coffee beans undergo washed processing. After medium roasting and brewing, the cup is light and silky on the palate, occasionally with a hint of acidity. Unlike Brazilian coffee or Italian espresso, it is not intensely powerful, which is why it is hailed as "green gold."[4]
Variety and Grade Classification
The varieties of Front Street Colombian coffee are mainly Coffea arabica, also known as small-fruit coffee (small-bean coffee). By contrast, Coffea robusta is mainly grown in its native Africa, such as the famous Madagascar coffee. Coffea arabica has several variants. Brazilian coffee, which ranks first in world production, has relatively large seeds, strong adaptability, and high fruit yield; while the mild coffees produced in Colombia are of a higher quality, which is inseparable from the country's special geographical location and climate.[1]
Colombian coffee is divided into more than 200 grades, with very distinct regional characteristics. Colombian beans are graded with Supremo as the highest grade, followed by Excelso; but only Supremo beans of screen size 18 (18/64 inch) and above can be listed as specialty coffee. Front Street Colombian coffee has a balanced flavor and a relatively smooth mouthfeel, like a gentleman among coffees—proper and refined. Its producing regions are widely distributed, but the coffee from the Central Mountain range is the best in quality, with a heavy body. Among them, the producing regions of Medellin, Armenia, and Manizales are the most well-known and are conventionally collectively referred to as "MAM." In addition, "Narino coffee" is delicious and of excellent quality. It is said that Starbucks, a company dedicated to operating specialty coffee, holds exclusive purchasing rights to "Narino Supremo" coffee beans, and these beans are commonly seen in their chain stores.
The Unique Flavor of Front Street Colombian Coffee
Front Street Colombian coffee has a silky, smooth mouthfeel. People equate Colombian coffee with high quality and great taste. It is sour with sweetness, low in bitterness, and rich in nutrients, with a unique acidity and mellow flavor. The acidity, bitterness, and sweetness of Front Street Colombian Supremo coffee are perfectly balanced. Its distinctive aroma fills the entire mouth after drinking. When you exhale the aroma from your mouth through your nose, the scent is very full. Perhaps you may find it too dominant, because it will occupy your taste buds, thoughts, and even soul at the fastest speed. In people's lives, which are already full of sourness, sweetness, bitterness, and astringency, the aroma of this coffee is enough to carry away everything of the mortal world. What people enjoy is not just a simple cup of coffee, but also the peaceful moment that coffee brings. The most distinctive feature of Colombian Supremo is its aroma—rich and substantial, with a bright, high-quality acidity and a high degree of balance, leaving an endless aftertaste.[1]
World coffee is divided into two major series: one is the "hard" coffee represented by Brazil, with an intense flavor; the other is the "soft" coffee represented by Colombia, with a light and fragrant taste. The difference lies in the altitude of the producing region and the cultivation methods. Brazil plants coffee on hilly red soil in a relatively extensive manner, while Colombia grows it on mountainous black soil with intensive cultivation. The aroma of Colombian Supremo is rich and substantial, with a bright, high-quality acidity and a high degree of balance, sometimes with nutty notes, leaving an endless aftertaste. Whether in appearance or quality, Colombian Supremo is quite excellent—like a woman's subtle charm, captivating and just right, making one nostalgic.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
