Few coffee beans have as much respect and adoration as Colombian beans. Columbia coffee beans are well known for their sweet flavor underscored by a nutty finish that results in a tasty cup of coffee. Today we review our list of top 5 best Colombian coffee beans so you can see for yourself what makes this fan favorite so popular.
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Top Five Colombian Coffee Companies
Here are the best options to try great-tasting Colombian coffee. These picks show off the unique quality and taste of the country.
1. Don Pablo Colombian Supremo
Don Pablo is a family-owned Colombian coffee company that uses small-batch roasting to deliver a quality cup of coffee. With each sip, you will encounter hints of chocolate that ends with notes of citrus resulting in a sweet, and clean flavor in each cup.
Each cup uses 100% Colombian Arabic beans with no fillers. Dan Pablo truly delivers low acidity and sweet flavors that highlight the best of Colombian coffee.
If you don’t plan on grinding whole beans, the company’s pre-ground is very fine, so that it won’t be great for every brewing style. Also, when you order, choose a roast a little lighter than you usually would. They tend to roast the coffee a little darker than average.
Dan Pablo Colombian Supremo is an excellent option when looking for the authentic taste of Colombian coffee that shows off the country’s unique taste and tones. It is a wonderful example of how this style of coffee should taste.
Things we like:
- Family owned and operated
- Small batch roast guarantees freshness
- High-quality flavor and aroma
- Roasted by experts to bring out natural flavors
Things we don’t like:
- The pre-ground option may be too fine
- The roast runs a bit darker than described
2. Allegro Coffee Colombia
Allegro Coffee was founded in Colorado, offering some of the finest coffee around the globe. The Allegro Coffee Colombia is a sweet and light roast with flavors of maple, brown sugar and citrus.
The lighter roast also gives this coffee higher caffeine content. You can get a helpful jolt in the morning when you brew a pot of this coffee.
The company maintains good relationships with local Colombian farms to ensure they buy high-quality crops. By knowing the farmers, illicit practices are reduced and make a more sustainable bean for everyone involved in the industry.
The coffee can be a little harsh, especially early in the morning, with a highly acidic tone. The roasts can sometimes, but not always, impart a smoked flavor that you may not be expecting. This added flavor can make the finish less clean.
For coffee drinkers who want to hyper-focus on the taste of the bean and avoid the bitterness of highly roasted coffee, Allegro Coffee Light Roast is a great choice. Beyond all the socially conscious effort the company puts in, they offer a great-tasting cup of joe you can enjoy.
Things we like:
- Light roast lets you taste the Colombian flavor
- Incredible smell and caffeine for your morning brew
- Highly sustainable
- Uses Fair Trade practices
Things we don’t like:
- Coffee can be very acidic
- Some batches have smoky aftertastes
3. Starbucks Medium Roast Ground Coffee Colombia
It’s not surprising that one of the most popular coffee companies in the world has a brew that uses 100% Colombian Arabica beans. With each cup, you can taste fruit flavor followed by a nutty finish that exemplifies the Colombia coffee experience.
Starbucks goes to great lengths to ensure that they source their beans using Fair Trade and sustainable methods. Their dedication to these causes is a driving force in the industry and leads to a lot of change in the market.
The medium roast of this coffee lets you enjoy the best of the beans and the best of the roast. You won’t find the coffee too bitter or acidic, and instead, you will find a refreshing balance in the brew.
Starbucks makes large batches, so you don’t always get the freshest beans when you buy their coffee. There are also times store-bought Starbucks doesn’t live up to the cafe experience, but whether that’s the beans or the brewing equipment is a hot debate.
For anyone who loves Starbucks and Colombian coffee, this medium roast will help you enjoy both simultaneously.
Things we like:
- Medium roast keeps the bean from being too acidic or bitter
- Single-origin lets you enjoy the taste of the region
- Robust flavor
- Fair Trade and sustainable practices used
Things we don’t like:
- Not always the freshest beans
- It doesn’t replicate the cafe experience perfectly
4. Cafe Sello Rojo
Cafe Sello Rojo started producing coffee in 1933 and continues making some of Colombia’s best coffee today. Many people in Colombia drink Cafe Sello Rojo, which helps make it one of the most authentic options for trying this type of bean.
The medium roast allows you to keep all the region’s unique flavors while still getting the perks of roasting. It is a well-balanced cup of coffee that isn’t too harsh but still delivers a kick of caffeine when you need to pick me up.
When you brew a cup of these Supremo beans, you will notice fruity sweet flavors at first that meld into a nutty finish. Each crop is handpicked and processed on location, and then they roast it in small batches. Then it is vacuum-sealed to ensure freshness.
The shipped version of the coffee doesn’t pack the same punch as it does in Colombia, so it won’t give you as much caffeine as the cup you drink on vacation. Still, overall when you are looking for a cup of Colombian coffee that Colombians ask for, Cafe Sello Rojo is your pick.
Things we like:
- Traditional Colombia coffee drank by locals
- Great coffee smell when brewed
- Vacuum sealed bricks bring back nostalgia for older coffee fans
- The company has a long history of making good coffee
Things we don’t like:
- Not as strong as the version in Colombia
- Grind designed for pour-over coffee
5. AmazonFresh Colombia
There are probably many people shocked to see Amazon’s brand on this list of great-tasting Colombia brews. However, being an inexpensive option doesn’t make it a bad one. You get an incredible cup of coffee that features the great taste of Colombia beans for a bargain.
The coffee gives you brown sugar and chocolate notes that are finished with a hint of citrus that helps give it a clean and pleasant flavor. The beans are medium roasted to help with acidity but still keep the caffeine content high and the bitterness down.
When you brew the coffee, you will notice a powerful aroma that hints at the flavors you are about to experience. It is a fun option to help you wake up any day of the week.
These beans don’t make the most robust cup of coffee, and you will want to repackage the coffee when you get it because the bag is pretty thin. Overall though, if your goal is a good-tasting Colombian coffee at a great deal in prices, then AmazonFresh Colombia helps you meet both.
Things we like:
- Low Price
- Great Colombia taste
- Medium roast helps keep the coffee smooth and tasty
- Robust Aroma
Things we don’t like:
- Not as strong as other beans
- Poorly packaged
Why Pick Colombian Coffee
Coffee has become a central theme in Colombia. In fact, it is so crucial to the nation, and the economy, that the country even built a National Coffee Park that features rides and museums about coffee and its production.
Colombia provides the perfect climate to grow mild coffee that gives drinkers pleasant sweet flavors of fruits, caramel, and chocolate. The finish imparts a nutty taste. When combined, these unique flavors have made Colombia a fan favorite for their coffee beans.
Arabica Beans
Colombia coffee uses Arabica beans, the most sought-after type of coffee bean. The other being Robusta, which is a cheaper bean that doesn’t taste as good. However, Robusta is easier to grow, and they offer a higher caffeine content.
Arabica beans offer the most flavor and the best balance of bitter and acid. When you ask most coffee experts which bean is the top in coffee production, Arabica wins. So the fact that Colombia produces almost exclusively Arabica beans helps make them a top country for coffee.
History of Excellence
The earliest written reference to coffee in Colombia comes from 1790 by a Franciscan Monk. Since then, coffee has become one of the most financially essential crops in the region. The demand for coffee spiked in the early 1900s, and Colombia is one of the leading producers.
Today Colombia makes about ten percent of the world’s coffee beans each year. Some of that will go into blends, but real fans love to buy it in the pure form to enjoy the flavor.
Things to Consider Before Buying
Now that you know why people love Colombian coffee, there are a few aspects you have to think about before you pick which one you are going to try. Some considerations you need to make are important for flavor, and others are important for social and environmental reasons.
A good coffee company should provide you information about all of these factors when you look at the brand. Sometimes, groups help certify things like Fair Trade and sustainability. These organizations independently audit the companies, so you know how you get your coffee beans.
Roast
Roast is going to have a significant effect on flavor. Light roast lets you taste the bean more. It will have the highest caffeine content, but it will also have the most acid.
At the other extreme, a dark roast will have the most flavor from the roasting process. It will also have the least caffeine and acid. The cooking makes this roast more bitter.
You can find the style of roast you like the most, and then get your Colombia coffee in that type to make sure you love every cup.
What is Supremo?
On many bags of Colombian coffee, you may see the term, Supremo. Some people think this deals with the strength or the origin of the bean, but that’s not true. It’s only an indication of bean size. Supremo is the largest bean when harvested.
These beans are fun and impressive, but there is no proof that the size affects the quality or taste of the coffee in any way. It is just a fun term that has come to exemplify the large Colombian beans.
Region
There are twenty-two different coffee-making regions in the country that each produce slightly different flavors and brews of coffee. When discussing these regions, people break them into five major zones, North, South, East, West, and Central.
The most prolific zone is the Central which makes the most commercial coffee. It is fun to try beans from different regions because you will taste changes to the flavor notes you experience.
Sustainability
As we understand more about the environment, sustainability has become a much more critical issue with coffee growing. Many companies operating in and around Colombia have started instituting sustainable practices.
Farmers handle crops better, so they don’t deplete the soil, natural pesticides are used rather than harsh chemicals, and compost replaces fertilizer. These changes are a good start, and you can ensure they continue by buying coffee from companies that use them.
Fair Trade Practices
Fair Trade Coffee makes sure that everyone in the supply chain of your coffee is paid a fair wage for their services. This practice helps stop poor business practices that hurt the coffee community.
When you buy a Fair Trade coffee, you know that companies worked with local farms and farmers to get you the best cup of coffee available.
Cozy’s Bottom Line
Colombia makes some of the finest coffee you can drink, but there are so many quality choices on the market it may be hard to narrow down your picks. When you’re looking to experience the best coffee, Colombia offers, Don Pablo Colombian Supremo is the best choice.
The small-batch coffee focuses on taste and freshness. The company roasts coffee from local farmers who want you to experience the large supremo beans with rich flavors of chocolate and citrus with a clean nutty finish.
There are also many other companies you can try to experience the different regions of Colombian coffee. If you want to drink the coffee that real Colombians enjoy, you may want to go with Cafe Sello Rojo.
Buy your first bag of the best Colombian coffee today so you can start enjoying the local sweet and nutty combination that has made the brew famous worldwide.
Wishing you a sweet Colombian coffee cheers!