Coffee from Columbia

Columbia is perhaps better known for the Mendelin Cartel and its associated drug deals...but the country is also a top coffee producer. Situated next to Venezuela to the east and Panama to the North West, Colombia has a rugged and varied terrain that extends from humid lowland forest to cold highland regions.

In the 16th century, Jesuit missionaries first brought arabica coffee beans to the country of Colombia. The volcanic soil of the Andes Mountains, along with the mild temperatures and abundant rainfall of the Colombia topography, provided ideal growing conditions, enabling the coffee plants to flourish.

Today, coffee trees are cultivated on small farms that spread over 900,000 hectares of mostly shaded mountainous areas, carefully tended by more than 500,00 independent coffee growers, known in Colombia as cafeteros, and their families. Colombian coffee grows at altitudes ranging from 3,000 to 6,500 feet (1,000 to 2,000 meters), accounting for the coffee's well-known acidity. The average temperature in these areas is 20 degrees Celsius and rainfall is generous.

Coffee is harvested throughout the year in Colombia, with a principal harvest between October and December in the main coffee regions, and a secondary harvest between April and May.

Unique to Colombia, this production cycle ensures that there is a fresh supply of Colombian coffee available to roasters, distributors and consumers year-round. As such, we have a ready supply for our coffee machines.

The appeal of Columbian coffee is therefore in its rich diversity - buyers can select coffee varieties grown at different altitudes, on different soils and in different climates. Toledo, for example, is grown in the rich volcanic soils of the Norte de Santander region where coffee was first introduced in the first part of the 19th century.

Toledo reveals distinct traces of dark chocolate that adds an agreeable sweet note to its intense flavour. This coffee has a good cup character and its acidity is mild. The after taste leaves a lasting impression reminiscent to roasted almonds. It is a perfect match with our coffee machines!

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