Colombia is known for many things, and coffee is one of them. Colombia produces over 14 million bags of coffee annually (Visual Capitalist) and is the world’s third-largest producer of coffee beans. Yet they are among the best producers of amiable coffee in the world. Introduced in the 1700s by Jesuits, coffee grew to become part of Colombia’s identity. It wasn’t until the late 1920s that the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia was formed to develop and protect the country’s commodity realizing its value. Decades later, they began marketing campaigns to share their precious crop globally, which helped Colombia become the widely desired coffee country they are today.
One advantage of Colombia is its location, in the heart of the coffee belt. The country has many microclimates, giving its coffee various flavor profiles. Combine that with variations in elevation, rich soil, and its location in a tropical rainforest, and you have a spectacular opportunity to produce world-class coffee. Colombian coffee is identified mainly by where it’s grown, and coffee is grown in the country’s North, North Central, South Central, and Eastern parts. There are five major coffee-growing regions: Caldas, Risaralda, Quindio, Antioquia, and Cundinamarca, each bringing a specific flavor profile.
The flavor profile of Colombian coffee varies based on region. Yet, since Colombia gets so much rain, they used the washed method, removing any sticky mucilage (fluid) from the bean, resulting in a sweet and crisp taste with an abundance of flavor. Those grown in the North tend to carry deeper flavor notes, and central-grown coffee brings a gentle sweetness with a nice chocolaty and nutty flavors with a smooth finish. The south has the most intricate flavor profiles with floral notes and higher acidity.