Coffees of the World...Colombia.
Carrie Masek
Thanks to Juan Valdez everyone has heard of Colombian coffee. Since the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia introduced us to the iconic farmer and his little donkey in 1958, he has become one of the most recognized figures around the world. Luckily, Colombian coffee is not only well known, it's also delicious.
Here are some fun facts about Colombia and coffee:
- Colombia is the world's third largest coffee producer.
- The United States buys more Colombian coffee than any other country.
- Colombian coffee is graded by the size of the green beans. A grade of "Supremo" means the beans are large. "Excellso" are smaller beans.
- Unlike many coffee growing regions, Colombia harvests two crops a year, the larger, main crop is harvested October through December, and the smaller, fly crop, in April and May. Since it takes about two months for the coffee beans to be processed and shipped, the month of February is when the largest quantity of high quality Colombian coffee is available.
- While much of Colombian's coffee is grown on large estates, most of the coffee grown in the southern growing regions of Cauca, Huila, Narino and Tolima, are grown on small family farms.
- Our favorite growing region in Colombia is Huila. We like the lively citrus topnotes that are a hallmark of Colombia Huila.
- Colombian coffee is grown at high altitude, allowing the beans to take even very dark roasts extremely well.
- Colombian coffee is the quintessential American coffee. Though some Colombians are brightened by lively topnotes and others have the gravitas of a heavier body, most Colombians brews up into a rich and balanced cup that most Americans recognize as a good cup of coffee.
We just got in a new Colombia Traditional. Grown by the "Asociacion Los Naranjos de San Agustin" from Huila, Colombia, this fabulous coffee offers sparkling grapefruit topnotes, bubblegum sweetness and a lovely aroma that reminds us of tropical flowers. Rich, balanced and smooth, our new Colombia Traditional has everything that makes Colombian coffee great.
Learn more about Colombia Los Naranjos de San Agustin, or try a roast for yourself and see.