COLOMBIA NARINO | April 2024
This April we’re taking our search for the world’s best coffee all the way to the edge. Colombia Nariño has been nurtured on the slopes of the Galeras Volcano, the most active volcano in Colombia!
Galeras last had a full eruption in 2010, but blows plumes of steam regularly from its peak, scattering ash as far as 30 km away. It’s this ash which is key to the excellent coffee being produced here. It enriches the soil, the Colombia Caturra trees thrive and create unmistakably sweet, full-bodied coffee beans.
Our first experience of Colombia Nariño was led by the aroma: as we poured the sample into our grinder the room filled with a fragrance of spiced dark chocolate and sweet dried fruit, providing an enchanting preview of what was to come in the cup.
A medley of malt, cacao and vanilla flavours mingled with soft fruit notes of plum and blueberry, finishing in sweet forest fruits. The body is full, bold, and extremely well balanced.
Just like the awe-inspiring mountain it was raised on, Colombia Nariño isn’t a quiet or retiring kind of coffee.
The flavours are strong and assertive, begging to be discovered. This Bean of the Month is for coffee-drinkers looking to add a little bit of exhilaration to their morning routine and elevate their cup out of the ordinary and into the extraordinary.
COFFEE ORIGIN PROFILE
Country: Colombia
Region: Nariño
Municipality: Pasto
Varietals: Caturra Colombia
Process: washed
Altitude: 1900m above sea level.
Colombia Narino has been nurtured on the slopes of Galeras, the most active volcano in the whole country. Galeras last had a full eruption in 2010, but blows plumes of steam regularly from its peak, scattering ash as far as 30 km away.
It’s this ash which is key to the excellent coffee being produced here. It enriches the soil, the trees thrive and create unmistakably sweet, full-bodied coffee beans.
Colombia Caturra is a varietal produced especially for the local climate, and when planted in the Galeras micro-climate produces a thrillingly good coffee, full-bodied and packed with flavour.
This Bean of the Month is a combined effort from the local farmers of the area and marks another outstanding entry in the history of coffee in Colombia.
TASTING NOTES & COFFEE CUPPING PROFILE
SCORE: 86 /100
FLAVOUR: blueberry, malt, plum
AROMA: raison, dark chocolate
ACIDITY: green apple
BODY: full & bold
AFTERTASTE: sweet forest fruits.
Our first experience of Colombia Nariño was led by the aroma: as we poured the sample into our grinder the cupping room filled with a fragrance of spiced dark chocolate and sweet dried fruit, providing an enchanting preview of what was to come.
As we moved through the tasting, we discovered a medley of malt, cacao and vanilla flavours mingled with soft fruit notes of plum and blueberry, finishing in sweet forest fruits.
Our roasters have been raving about the body and balance they’ve been able to achieve, and the fine quality of the green apple acidity creating a beautiful clarity of flavour in the cup.
BREW RECOMMENDATIONS
Colombian coffee sings in an espresso machine: the concentration of flavours, the depth and body, and the incredibly high national coffee production standards all come together to make beautiful and bold coffees that stand up so well, especially when combined with milk.
Use the Nariño for your morning latte and you can expect a symphony of flavours! Malt, chocolate, cacao and vanilla are classic crowd pleasers, and the notes of plum, blueberry, and forest fruits are just tangible enough to pique your interest and keep you sipping.
These are all great qualities for a little stovetop brew if you’re feeling Italian, and the strength of flavour is wonderful if you’d like to use it in a French press. If you are going for the plunger option, try pouring the water first before adding a tablespoon of coarsely ground coffee per cup, giving it a good stir with a wooden spoon and plunging straight away.
A quick brew might feel unusual but we promise the payoff in flavour is worth it!