Flavour potential

Prior to 2015, Colombia produced coffees for quantity, not quality. All of the country’s coffees were washed processed due to a restriction imposed by the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation (FNC) to promote only cultivars that focused on volume. The aim was “balanced, elegant, and clean” coffee, not exotic.

“The Federation checks every lot that leaves Colombia. If the coffees were found to be anything other than washed processed, it would be rejected,” coffee importing business Cofinet Co-founder and Director Carlos Arcila says.

Thanks to globalisation and influence of other countries producing amazing natural and honey processed coffees, the FNC revoked its restriction in 2015. Small farmers started experimenting with new processing methods, and the result, Carlos says, is a rejuvenation of the country’s