A Guide To Coffee Beans From Colombia For Java Lovers
Colombian coffee is one of the prominent participants in the world's coffee industry, making up around 12% of the world's supply and being well-regarded everywhere.
Thanks to viral advertising campaigns, and effective infrastructure for farmers in the countryside, the region became the powerhouse it is today and an early start on coffee exports. Vast tropical rainforests, stretching coastlines bounded by both the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean sea; impressive mountainous altitudes; moderate cloud coverage and rainfall; high levels of humidity, and more, all contribute to an incredible aptitude for coffee production. However, Colombia wasn't always the world's third-largest coffee exporter. Like other South American countries, the coffee industry had modest beginnings.
OK But First Coffee is ethically sourcing coffee beans straight from the farmlands of Colombia for its “Mornin’ Kick” range of java. This roast is to become your best friend, it is strong and has bold flavors of the nation consisting of hints of Brazilian nuts and Grapefruits and undertones of oak which gives it a distinguished flavor palette.
Colombian Coffee History
Jesuit missionaries who came to Colombia with Spanish immigrants in the early 1700s were the first to introduce coffee to the country.
The nation's first crops were harvested in the Northeast, but tiny, family farms quickly accepted coffee as a regional cash crop across the country. It took until the first decade of the 1800s for coffee to have its first commercial export.
The humble initial shipment of 100 bags of green coffee, weighing around 60 kg apiece, marked the beginning of a significant industry.
In the middle of the 1800s, as coffee consumption soared in France, Germany, and the United States, so did Colombia's production of the beverage. In the late 1800s, as a civil war known as The Thousand Days War broke out in the nation, the expanding industry saw a brief collapse. Many plantation owners were compelled to divide up lands among workers due to the conflict and a drop in the price of coffee on the world market, giving locals ownership and control over their plantations.
Early in the 20th century, Colombia, now at peace, developed a logistical infrastructure that made it easier for small-scale, rural producers to export their coffee.
This sparked a new era of expansion and provided those younger farmers with a means to continue producing. Colombian coffee is still among the best and most renowned in the entire globe. This is partly attributable to the National Federation of Colombian Coffee Growers' 1959 highly effective marketing campaign.
They popularised the fictional Juan Valdez, who is still associated with Colombian coffee in the minds of 85% of Americans. No other country that produces coffee has ever had a marketing effort as successful or as persistent as the persona of Juan Valdez.
Customers who were starting to look for beans from a specific nation for the first time were drawn in by this well-known character. The coffee business in Colombia has been firmly established as a component of the country's identity thanks to the government's long-standing recognition of its economic potential.
The largest rural non-profit organization in the world today is the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation (FNC), which was founded in 1927 to serve the interests of coffee growers.
The FNC still aspires to make a beneficial social impact in addition to financial gain today. For Colombia's half million coffee farmers, research endeavors, training, environmental preservation, and community development, all have good effects.
Colombian Coffee's Characteristics
High elevations are used to grow Colombian coffee. It frequently resides in areas where banana and rubber trees grow. This confluence of elements, together with the country's volcanic activity, produces great soil for coffee plants.
The coffee produced in Central Colombia often has a robust body and is well-balanced and delicious. For medium and medium-dark roasts, this crop usually works well. In comparison, the coffee produced in Bogota's Eastern region is typically less acidic but heavier and fuller.
In general, this results in complete, rich dark roasts.
In light of all of this, Colombian coffee is excellent in several settings. Richness and complexity produce distinctive and intriguing singular origins. On the other hand, Colombian coffee's adaptability and base level of quality makes it ideal for mixes as well.
Regions
There are more than 20 distinct coffee-growing regions in Colombia.
Different flavor profiles can be found in each because of variations in weather (rain and overall temperature), elevation, soil type, and harvesting technique.
- The North Zone
Santander, Norte de Santander, La Guajira, Magdalena, and Cesar.
- The Central Zone
South of Antioquia, Boyacá, Caldas, Chocó, Risaralda, Quindío, North of Valle del Cauca, Cundinamarca, and North of Tolima.
- The South Zone
Nariño, Cauca, and Huila.
- The Eastern Zone
Arauca, Casanare, Meta, and Caquetá.
Facts About Growing Coffee Beans In Colombia
- Colombia is a country with several different microclimates spread over thousands of miles, making it ideally suited for growing coffee. In addition to making it simple to grow coffee, the numerous nutrient-rich hills and mountains, the humid environment, and the high elevation also make it simple to produce excellent quality beans.
- There are reportedly more than 600,000 farmers who grow coffee in the nation. The majority of them are still small and in rural areas, but they have access to markets for their crops thanks to a sound infrastructure.
- Although a sizable amount of Colombian coffee is consumed domestically, the country only exports 11 to 13 million bags yearly.
- The majority of Colombian processing facilities employ the washed method due to the country's regular downpours, producing coffee with a sharp acidity, a nice sweetness, and a high degree of taste clarity.
- In Colombia, there are two harvest seasons. October-February and March-June.
What Does The Taste Of Colombian Coffee Beans
Colombian coffee has a wide range of flavors. Out of the 32 departments in the nation, 20 produce coffee, with each producing a somewhat distinct type of coffee from the next. The lower altitude and greater temperatures in Santa Marta and Santander's northern regions produce coffee with a full body and fuller flavor nuances. Antioquia, Caldas, Quindio, and other departments in the Central "coffee belt" have a reputation for producing well-rounded coffees with notes of hazelnut and chocolate, moderate sweetness, and mellow acidity.
Due to the high elevation, coffee in the southern departments of Nario, Cauca, and Huila frequently has a greater acidity, floral fragrances, and complex flavor profiles.
OKBF & Colombian Coffee Beans
OKBF coffee beans are also sourcing their coffee beans from Colombia. The company has three variants that they roast, the range includes Mornin’ Kick, Midday Stroll, and Chill Thirty.
Out of these three, Mornin’ Kick comes from exotic Colombian farmlands. It has a bold, rusty, and rich dark taste. Each sip will tempt you to take another one.
Roasting It Up
You should now have all the information you sought. Contact us if you have any further questions and we'll be happy to assist. Don't forget to check out our web store as well.
OKBF just doesn't have coffee beans but we also sell our merchandise and are giving you a coffee club subscription that will help you get your daily dose of joe at your doorstep.
It will have no shipping changes and you will also receive various discounts once you become an elite member. Check out the website right away to make your mornings brighter!
