Trying Our Colombian Single Origin

This week, our barista trainer tries our new fair trade single origin from Colombia.

Colombia is famed for the huge range of flavours found in its coffee. Full-bodied and chocolatey brews? Check. Sweeter, more fruity lots? Also, check.

I was intrigued, therefore, when a sample of our new Colombian single-origin arrived in the office. The tasting notes on the bag read ‘wine bodied with orange peel, dark chocolate, caramel sweetness and a nutty finish. Never one to take tasting notes at face value, however, I dived right in with a cupping session.

For those who don’t work in the coffee industry, ‘cupping’ is the standardized process for tasting coffee. The idea is to avoid any impact on the flavour created by any particular brewing process. I’ve chosen to describe the process in some detail here, just in case any of you want to try it at home yourselves.

I started by grinding 12g of coffee and adding 200ml of water, leaving it to steep for four minutes. Then I pushed the floating coffee grounds to the side, releasing all of the aromas in the cup. Don't be embarrassed to get your nose in there and smell the aromas as they escape.

Finally, I skimmed off the remaining grounds and left the coffee to cool.

When it was ready to taste, I took a spoonful and aggressively slurped the coffee. This often looks excessive, even pretentious, to onlookers but it aerates the coffee and spreads it across your palate.

The first thing I noticed was the mouthfeel, which was slightly heavier than I expected. However, it was balanced by a beautiful, bright acidity which could be definitely be likened to orange peel. 

The verdict? A classic Colombian with all the complexities I would expect from this origin.

I can’t wait to try this coffee with a variety of brewing methods. In the meantime, check out this beautiful single-origin on our website.