What Is Colombian Coffee?

We've all probably heard of Colombian coffee; it's famous around the world, thanks in part to Colombia’s decades of marketing savvy – including the iconic Juan Valdez campaign that first put Colombian coffee on the global map. But that reputation has stuck because the coffee earns it, grown in an ideal climate for Arabica by smallholder farmers who harvest by hand, picking only ripe cherries.

Whether you're a coffee connoisseur or just want a great daily brew, Colombian coffee has something for everyone. Join us as we explore where Colombian coffee is grown, our 20+ year partnership with CoSurCa, and brewing tips to get the most out of it.

What Makes Colombian Coffee So Popular?

Colombia has been growing coffee for centuries and is currently the third-largest coffee producer in the world. Why is it so popular? It’s because Colombia has the right terroir, the combination of elevation, climate, and fertile volcanic soils that coffee trees need to thrive, allowing them to produce high-quality beans with unique, complex flavors, a smooth body, and a clean finish.

Colombia's coffee comes mostly from small, family-owned farms, where Arabica is often shade grown beneath a natural canopy, rather than large industrial operations. This method protects the surrounding biodiversity while giving each cherry more time to ripen slowly, deepening the coffee's flavor. The end result is often well-balanced and approachable cups like our certified organic, Fair Trade Colombian Coffees that satisfy most coffee lovers.

Within Colombia, a rich coffee culture deeply integrates production into community life, traditions, agriculture, and regional identity. Locals frequently meet in coffee houses to socialize and share stories and even learn about roasting and brewing. In fact, part of Colombia’s Coffee Axis region is home to the Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia, which earned a UNESCO World Heritage Site status as an example of sustainable production rooted in tradition, making it a symbol for coffee-growing areas worldwide.

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Balanced, approachable Colombian coffee from COSURCA, a cooperative of 1500 smallholder farmers — notes of caramel, red fruit and citrus with a smooth body and clean finish.

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Where Is Colombian Coffee Grown?

Most of the coffee in Colombia is grown in the central and southern mountains at high elevations, where nutrient-rich Andean soils and diverse mountainous microclimates offer the right growing conditions to produce excellent coffees.

Coffee grows across several of Colombia's key departments (including Huila, Nariño, Cauca, and Antioquia), each shaped by its own elevation, soil, and microclimate to bring out a slightly different character in the cup. Because so much of this land is steep and mountainous, many farms are hand-terraced into the hillsides, a labor-intensive process that keeps production close to the land and its people.

Because Colombia is so close to the equator, with a mild climate and frequent rainfall, some regions can even produce two harvests a year: a main harvest followed by a smaller secondary harvest. 

Our Partnership With CoSurCa

At Dean’s Beans, we have a long-term relationship with the Cooperativa del Sur del Cauca (CoSurCa), whom we’ve been partnering with for more than two decades now. CoSurCa is a cooperative of over 1,500 families spread across 12 communities who were among the first in the country to export their coffees independently.

At CoSurCa, coffee is woven into their daily life and culture. They stand united with inclusive governance to ensure the farmers' voices are all represented and to help the cooperative withstand regional instability. CoSurCa also uses climate-smart agricultural training to ensure our farmer partners can adapt to shifting weather patterns for long-term sustainability.

We stay closely connected with our partners at CoSurCa year-round (through calls, video check-ins, and meeting in person at coffee industry conferences) and when we can, we meet with the farmers in Colombia to see firsthand where our coffees are grown and collaborate on their community-led initiatives.

Over the years our farmer partners have led initiatives to protect sacred lands and invest in their youth gastronomy and eco-tourism program, which trains young people in hospitality, ancestral cooking, and sustainable tourism, helping preserve their culture while building resilient livelihoods.

True to our People-Centered Development model, these projects are built on true partnerships. Cooperatives decide what they need and how they want it implemented. When asked, we contribute financial investment, resources, or connections where they align with farmer priorities. This approach encourages sustainable community development because programs are designed and led by the communities rather than outsiders. 

What Does Colombian Coffee Taste Like?

Colombian coffees typically offer a sweet combination of chocolate, caramel, and a touch of red fruit or citrus. Specific flavors can depend on the variety and where it is grown, as the terroir as well as growing and processing methods all produce distinctive flavor profiles in your cup.

Our certified organic, Fair Trade, shade-grown Colombian Coffee is a medium roast with delicious flavors hinting at sweet caramel and chocolate, producing a balanced cup with a smooth body and pleasant acidity. 

How Is Colombian Coffee Processed? 

In Colombia, the abundant rainfall means the wet or fully washed method is the predominant way that most Colombian coffee cherries are processed. 

What is the Washed (Fully Washed) Process?

The wet or washed method follows five main steps:

1. Pulp removal: The pulp is mechanically removed from freshly picked coffee cherries.

2. Fermentation: The seeds (what we generally call "beans") stay in their parchment layer and are submerged in water to ferment for about 1–3 days. This step breaks down the mucilage still clinging to them.

3. Washing: The mucilage is washed away.

4. Drying: The beans dry in the sun for about 1–2 weeks.

5. Parchment removal: The dried parchment layer is mechanically removed.

Colombian Coffee Brewing Advice

As with most coffees, grinding freshly roasted whole beans and weighing your coffee will help you get the most flavorful and consistent results. Start with the recommended amount of ground coffee for your brew method, then adjust it until you achieve the strength and flavor you want. Finally, since coffee is mostly water, if your tap water is hard or tastes of iron, chlorine, or sulfur, try filtering it first to improve the flavor.

After that, your brew method typically depends on the roast level. If you enjoy tasting single-origin light or medium roasts, a pour-over or Chemex with a paper filter is a great place to start. The paper removes some of the coffee's natural oils, letting the true taste of the origin shine through.

For everything else, here's a quick guide to matching your roast with the right brew method:

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Proudly partnered with CoSurCa's smallholder farmers for over 30 years, growing a balanced, certified organic, Fair Trade coffee with rich chocolate and caramel notes.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What’s So Special About Colombian Coffee?

Colombian coffees are mostly Arabica beans grown with the right combination of high-elevation forests, a climate with frequent rain, and rich, volcanic soils that allow coffee trees to thrive. This allows them to produce the rich, complex cups that are so popular around the world.  

Is Colombian Coffee Arabica?

Yes, Colombia is traditionally an Arabica-producing country, in part because the high-elevation mountainous climates where Colombian coffees are grown are so well-suited to Arabica production and because Colombia has focused heavily on exporting high-quality Arabica coffees.   

Try Organic, Fair Trade Colombian Coffee Grown by the Farmers Who Know It Best

Colombia has been producing coffee for centuries and has become world-famous, with Colombian coffee often being synonymous with high-quality Arabica beans. They’re considered high-quality because Colombia has the right combination of elevation, climate, and rich, volcanic soils that create a balanced, smooth cup with complex flavor notes and pleasant acidity.

Our long-term partnerships with smallholder farms help ensure consistent quality while supporting farmer-led initiatives in sustainable farming and sustainable communities. We invite you to explore our certified organic, Fair Trade Colombian coffees and experience the balanced sweetness that comes from decades of farmer-led care.