Atlas Coffee Colombia Andean Region Blend

By

Bryan Huynh

on March 21, 2024

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A great cup of coffee starts with quality soil, growers who know the land, and the right roast. Like wine, the flavor of your coffee will be impacted by the amount of sunlight and water that is delivered to the plants at particular points in the growing season. 

Colombia is the most wonderfully diversified coffee nation on the planet. Each fall, we eagerly await the arrival of coffee from the southern departments of Nario, Cauca, and Tolima, which are known for their rich coffees. These coffees are thick as marshmallows, intensely brilliant, and distinctively complex. Some of the most fruity and aromatically strong thoroughly washed qualities on the market. Check out our Coffee Club page to compare and read reviews of our favorite coffee clubs!

Coffee Background

The Colombian coffee industry is firmly ingrained in culture, with over 500,000 farmers across 2.2 million acres. In contrast to other mass-production locations, most coffee in Colombia is shade-grown and hand-picked, giving it some of the best quality coffee in the world.

About Colombia Andean Region Blend

Cupping Profile

  • Roast: Medium Roast
  • Body: Silky, Smooth, Balanced
  • Cultivar: Cultivar Caturra Types, Modern Hybrids
  • Flash Notes:Plum & Grape, Graham Cracker, Toasted Marshmallow
  • Farm Gate: Yes

Origin Information

  • Grower: Producers from Ocotepeque
  • Altitude: 1,650 masl
  • Soil: Clay minerals
  • Region: Andean Region
  • Process: Fully Washed & Sun Dried
  • Harvest: November - March
  • Certification: Conventional

Cupping Scores

Published by the Specialty Coffee Association of America, the average cupping score was 86.25/100 for this blend.

The Cupping Form allows you to note the following coffee flavor qualities: Fragrance/Aroma, Flavor, Aftertaste, Acidity, Body, Balance, Uniformity, Clean Cup, Sweetness, Defects, and Overall. These are evaluated on a 16-point scale indicating quality levels in quarter-point increments ranging from 6 to 9. To score your coffee, go through each specific flavor attribute and mark the points based on your own personal appraisal. 

Quality Scale

  • Good: 6-6:75
  • Very good: 7 - 7.75
  • Excellent: 8 - 8.75
  • Outstanding: 9 - 9.75

The Final Score is calculated by adding the individual scores for each of the key criteria in the "Total Score" box. Defects are then subtracted from the “Total Score” to arrive at a “Final Score.” The Scoring Key below has shown to be an effective technique to represent the range of coffee quality for the Final Score.

Total Score Quality Classification

  • Outstanding: 90-100
  • Excellent: 85-89.99
  • Very Good: 80-84.99
  • Good: <80

(Outstanding, excellent, and very good are considered Specialty coffee, while anything below that is not.)

Why Colombia Andean Region Blend is Different

The Colombia Andean Region is ideally suited for growing coffee. Because this stretch of mountain ridges is near the equator, it is humid. Moisture off the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the north increases the cloud cover of the area and terraced farming has been used for generations. In addition to coffee, many grains are grown on the high terraced farming plots. This part of the world is also cool. Because the elevation is so high, the temperatures seldom get into the tropical range found at the shore.

The regions of Caldas and Tolima are quite popular and are just a few of the included in the coffee axis. The Andean Ridge runs all the way down the western coast of South America. However, the nation of Colombia has made good use of the tropical temperatures that make it possible to grow a variety of plants on the high terraces near the west coast of the country. Because there are so many regions in the coffee axis, the blend options from this region offer endless variety. While the soil is generally acidic thanks to ancient volcanic activity, you may find that coffee grown in the northern regions, such as the Colombian Sierra Nevada, you may enjoy a nutty, chocolate flavor.

As you move into the central coffee producing region, you may enjoy a more caramel flavor. This is the largest region of Colombian coffee growing and is known for producing the traditional Colombian flavor. The southern regions of Cauca and Huila are known for a fruitier, more acidic coffee. This region enjoys a larger range of temperature from day to night, and the beans ripen more slowly over the growing season. Not only is this coffee more acidic, but the fragrance is quite remarkable in comparison to coffee grown further to the north. The coffee grown on the eastern edge of the Andean ridge receives less rain, but also undergoes a smaller temperature range. There are not many growers in this region, and the coffee that they grow tends to have a mild, nutty flavor.

What Are The Pros of This Coffee?

The Honduras Ocotepeque Blend has a unique mix of flavors, combining a dark chocolate flavor with a hint of graham cracker and marshmallow. 

1. Bittersweet low tones are balanced by inviting caramelized sweetness, and the top notes are characterized by rice pudding, toasted pumpkin seeds, sunflower butter, and tarragon chocolate truffles.

2. City+ to Full City+ roast.

3. Good for espresso.

Conclusion

The blends will give you the chance to study coffee from the moment you open the bag. The aroma of your coffee upon opening, the sheen on the beans, the feel as you grind the beans, the aroma when you add heat, and finally the flavor will all make it easier to connect with the world around you. This is also a great chance to change up your favorite roasts and recipes. Many coffees lend themselves to a dark roast, but the nuttier coffees of the northern Colombian growing region may be more flavorful with a medium or even a mild roast. Each blend and roast choice gives you the option to try a new set of flavor parameters, new recipes and new brewing methods. The world runs on coffee. In a time when there are a lot of variables getting in the way of your travel goals, the ability to celebrate a new region with your morning brew can be quite exciting.

You may also like:

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Atlas Coffee Guatemala Huehuetenango Blend

Atlas Coffee Honduras Ocotepeque Blend

Atlas Coffee Costa Rica Palmares Blend

About the Author

Product Tester & Writer

Bryan Huynh

Product Tester & Writer

Bryan Huynh is a determined Product Tester & Writer. Being a coffee addict, it is only right that he mainly tests and reviews different coffee from around the world and coffee subscription services.

Bryan Huynh is a determined Product Tester & Writer. Being a coffee addict, it is only right that he mainly tests and reviews different coffee from around the world and coffee subscription services.