A new zingy Colombian coffee!

Where was this coffee cultivated?

We have returned to Colombia for this brew, a country with a strong reputation for awesome coffee and 300 years of growing experience. Its climate, altitude, and soil quality are the perfect combination to create a complex flavour in the cup, typically consisting of sweet notes like toffee and chocolate followed by a mild acidity.

Farmers in this country have learned the best way to grow consistently good coffee, passed down from generation to generation. Many smaller towns still follow traditional methods of growing and processing their beans, which have retained their cultural roots and conserved unique varieties of Arabica coffee beans. In 2020, the Coffee Quality Institute surveyed all the Q graders worldwide to pick their top five coffee origins; Colombia fell into this category alongside Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and El Salvador. Get in!

Arabica beans require higher altitudes, frequent rainfall, and a warm climate, and all 19 of Colombia’s growing regions tick all these boxes. However, each region will still differ slightly from the rest. For example, the highest-quality coffee typically comes from Southern Colombia, which is close to the equator and boasts rich volcanic soil. Our new blue comes from Cauca, which falls into this region! High five!

However, Colombia is not without its struggles. With its reputation and demand for good coffee, production has moved to a larger scale, with many being paid less than a fair wage. There is also a lot of deforestation to clear room for these coffee plantations, with pesticides potentially damaging the land further. However, it’s not all doom and gloom, as organisations like the ACC have stepped in to preserve the coffee industry.

What is the ACC?

The ACC (Asociacion de Caficultores del Centro del Cauca por la Paz) is a non-profit organisation based in the centre of Cauca in Piendamó. It supports the bean-to-cup process and cultivates superior coffee on smaller traditional farms. Its fundamental goal is to create positive social change, which will, in turn, improve the livelihoods of families, safeguard the environment, and create peace within its territory.

The ACC encourages a collaborative environment. It currently supports 77 associates, each cultivating an average of 1.5 hectares of land between 1,700 and 2,100 meters above sea level. The associates constantly work to alleviate poverty and social conflicts in their region, providing members with commercial strategies and crop-related technology. With this assistance, they can process their coffee how they’d like, progressing innovative fermentation techniques.

ACC’s coffee varieties include Castillo, Cenicafé, Tabi, Bourbon, Caturra, and Colombia, and the coffee is dried primarily through parabolic and mechanical silos. Currently operating from a rented facility in Piendamó, the association has a coffee laboratory equipped with all the essential tools for coffee selection and cupping, conducted by a certified Q-Grader.

In 2023, the ACC purchased 900,000 kg of parchment coffee, with 20,000 kg scoring a remarkable 86 points or higher. These beans were cultivated by ACC’s associates and commercial partners in the municipalities of Morales, Cajibío, Totoró, and Caldono. This is a fantastic step in supporting traditional smallholder farmers across Colombia and ensuring the future of their livelihoods. Wahoo!