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Colombia

You can get fresh coffee from Colombia all year round: from clean, consistent Washed lots to some of the wildest coffee experiments in the market.

Strong institutions set production and quality standards in Colombia long before the specialty movement was born. Their Washed coffees are clean and consistent with a good shelf-life. But younger Colombian farmers are reinventing coffee processing and pushing fermentation boundaries. The producers on Algrano represent both worlds and multiple regions so you can find the right coffee and partner.

Verified Sellers from

Colombia

Discover the right supplier for your roastery, from innovative farmers and independent exporters to certified cooperatives. Volume lots, micro-lots, blends or single varieties... You'll find what you're looking for.

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Finca Riocofre

Single Farm

The philosophy of Finca Riocofré is to obtain very good coffees, sustainably manage the terroir that is our main ally and social responsibility with our community, which is a fundamental part in the success of this entire venture. For this reason we decided to focus on the production of organic coffee grown under shade, protection of the three water sources including the beautiful Cofre River. We currently have 4 varieties: Tabi, Castillo, Geisha and Java. Our processing processes are focused on obtaining specialty coffees. Constant research has allowed us to improve and understand this complex issue of specialty coffees and as a result our coffees have been bought by exporters who have taken them to London, USA and Romania.

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La Marianela Estate

Single Farm

Each person that purchases this coffee is providing a helping hand to those with the lowest working opportunities of the “Popayán Plateau” this area is located between the volcanic mountains of Coconuncos and the Nevado del Huila. It has been showered for centuries with the ashes of these volcanoes, making its soil perfect for the growth of a unique single origin coffee with all the characteristics that make it a top quality Colombian speciality Coffee. La Marianela estate is located in this privileged zone, extending its lands and plantations through 150 Ha and between 1650 – 1800 m.a.s.l. creating a perfect environment for the production of a coffee, with all the characteristics that make it a top quality Colombian ground. As if this were not enough, “La Marianela” estate is covered with pure water springs and crossed by dazzling creeks. This has not only been beneficial for the crops, but it has also created ecological corridors that have allowed the growth.

Colombia produces coffee that tastes great and has sustainable credentials grown by producers with a long history in farming and heaps of experience. Today, 40% of the coffee the country exports is sold as specialty, and producers receive up to 96% of the FOB price. Taste profiles have always been varied but farmers are so innovative that the concept of regional flavours got old. Every cup is a surprise. 

Quality foundations      

Colombia is the world’s largest producer of Washed Arabica - and they do it well. Unable to compete in volume with Brazil, the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia (FNC) created a strategy around quality. They defined production and processing standards and rewarded coffee with good physical characteristics with better pricing. 

(Photo: Hacienda Cafetera La Pradera)

The standards set by the FNC spread because the organisation buy large volumes of coffee and offers a purchase guarantee. Their base price is defined by how much exportable green coffee they can get from 94 kg of parchment, known as the factor de rendimiento. If 94 kg of parchment yields more than 70 kg of Excelso, the farmer is paid above the base price. If it yields less, payment is below the base price.  

A leap from physical to sensory standards 

(Photo: Hacienda Cafetera La Pradera)

These physical quality standards have existed for a long time. For a specialty coffee buyer today, they might not seem all that relevant. But this is one of the reasons why Colombian coffee tastes so good today. Historically, their Washed lots are cleaner, lighter and more acidic than standard Brazilian or Peruvian coffees. 

This is also one of the reasons why Colombian producers experiment as much as they do. They already had a good understanding of fermentation for the Washed process. That was a solid foundation to explore other processing methods and differentiate. Especially as more producers started getting export licenses. 

Sustainable and always available

Colombia is also a popular origin because it has coffee available all year. Unlike most other countries, it has two dry and two wet seasons. This triggers two periods of flowering and, as a result, two harvests. Most of the country has a main harvest from March to June. That’s responsible for 60% of Colombia’s volume. The remaining 40% is produced from September to December. It’s called a fly crop or mitaca

Hacienda Casa Blanca

The country is also a big producer of certified coffee. Two-thirds of Colombia’s volume has at least one certification, such as 4C, Rainforest Alliance or Fairtrade. The Northern departments, like Santander and Magdalena, also produce a lot of organic shade-grown coffee. It’s a commercial differentiator from the Coffee Axis. And it makes sense because the area gets more sun exposure. 

Beyond its environmental credentials, Colombia protects farmers from shocks in the futures market. In 2020, the government and the FNC established a Coffee Price Stabilization Fund to guarantee a minimum floor rate should market prices drop below the cost of production.

The wild version of Panama

Hoyo Frío

Specialty coffee production changed a lot in Colombia in the last five years. Farmers taking baby steps in new processing methods now have super diverse coffees they export themselves. They also experiment with all sorts of varieties. Gesha lost its crown as the “golden seed” and made way for Tabi, Caturra Chiroso, Bourbon Aji, Bourbon Papayo, and others.

Among younger producers, co-fermented and infused coffees are all the rage. These are usually micro-lots. But more farmers are challenging themselves to produce large volumes of Naturals despite the weather, which can be too humid for long periods of sun-drying. The new generation wants to make a name for itself as Panama did - but they’re wilder. 

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Roasting colombian coffee with Crankhouse and April Coffee

Roasting colombian coffee with Crankhouse and April Coffee

June 6, 2023
Algrano

Specialty coffee roasters Dave Stanton of Crankhouse and Joseph Fisher of April Coffee share their approach to roasting and profiles for Colombian coffees. Read about the country's processing history and the versatility of the coffees produced here.

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