Colombian coffee is often described using familiar terms such as chocolate, caramel, nuts and balanced acidity.
Those descriptions can be useful, but they can also create the impression that Colombian coffee has one particular flavour.
It doesn't.
Colombia is one of the world's major coffee-producing countries, with enormous variation in geography, altitude, coffee varieties, processing methods and individual producers.
Two coffees carrying the word Colombia on the bag can therefore taste remarkably different.
Understanding why makes choosing Colombian coffee much more interesting.
Colombia Is a Country, Not a Flavour Profile
Coffee is grown across numerous regions of Colombia.
Different growing areas have their own combinations of altitude, temperature, rainfall, soil, varieties and farming practices.
Regions commonly associated with specialty coffee include Huila, Nariño, Cauca, Tolima and Antioquia, among many others.
Even within one region, coffees from neighbouring farms can differ considerably.
That's why we'd never assume that knowing the country of origin tells us exactly what a coffee will taste like.
Origin gives us context.
The individual coffee tells us the rest.
Altitude Can Influence Coffee Development
Many Colombian coffees are grown at substantial elevations.
Higher-altitude growing conditions are often cooler, which can slow cherry maturation and influence the development of the coffee.
But altitude isn't a quality score.
A high number printed on a coffee specification doesn't automatically make the coffee better than one grown lower down.
Altitude interacts with latitude, local climate, variety, farming practices and numerous other variables.
It's one part of the story rather than the whole explanation.
Coffee Variety Matters
Colombia grows numerous Arabica varieties.
These can include traditional varieties such as Typica and Bourbon as well as Caturra, Castillo, Colombia and others.
Different varieties have different agronomic characteristics and can also contribute to differences in cup character.
That means two coffees grown at similar elevations in the same country can still produce quite different sensory experiences.
Processing Changes What We Taste
How coffee is processed after harvesting has an enormous influence on the finished cup.
Colombia has traditionally been strongly associated with washed coffee.
In washed processing, the fruit is removed before the coffee is dried. Well-produced washed coffees can display excellent clarity, sweetness and acidity.
But Colombian producers also use other processing approaches.
Natural, honey and various controlled-fermentation techniques can produce dramatically different flavour characteristics.
A Colombian coffee with pronounced fruit and fermentation character may therefore taste nothing like the conventional chocolate-and-caramel profile someone expects from the country.
Neither is necessarily more authentically Colombian.
They're simply different coffees.
Green Coffee Quality and Storage Matter
After processing and drying, coffee still has a long journey before reaching a roaster in Australia.
How green coffee is prepared, packed, transported and stored can affect its condition.
Green coffee isn't indestructible.
Moisture, temperature, storage time and packaging can influence how well a coffee retains its original characteristics.
That's one reason sourcing and green-coffee management matter to a roaster.
The name of the origin alone doesn't guarantee the condition of the coffee that eventually arrives in the roastery.
Roasting Has a Major Influence on Flavour
The same green Colombian coffee can taste substantially different when roasted in different ways.
Roasting changes the balance between acidity, sweetness, body, roast character and the individual flavours we perceive in the cup.
A roast intended for espresso may be developed differently from one intended primarily for filter brewing.
That doesn't mean every Colombian espresso roast should be dark or every Colombian filter roast should be light.
Our job as roasters is to understand the particular green coffee and develop a roast profile appropriate to the result we're trying to achieve.
The fact that the roaster happens to be located in Melbourne isn't what gives Colombian coffee its flavour.
The decisions made during roasting are what matter.
Brewing Water Can Change the Cup
Water chemistry has a surprisingly important effect on coffee extraction and flavour.
Different concentrations of minerals and different alkalinity can change how acidity, sweetness and other characteristics are perceived.
That's why the same coffee can taste noticeably different when brewed with different water.
Australian water isn't uniform, either.
Water composition varies between cities and regions, and individual homes can also use filtration systems that alter it further.
So if you've enjoyed a Colombian coffee somewhere else and can't reproduce exactly the same result at home, the coffee itself may not be the only variable.
Your Grinder and Extraction Matter Too
Even perfectly roasted coffee can taste disappointing when it's badly extracted.
For espresso, variables such as grind size, dose, beverage yield, water temperature and extraction time can significantly change the result.
Under-extracted coffee can taste sharp, sour or thin.
Over-extraction can contribute excessive bitterness, dryness or astringency.
Filter brewing introduces its own variables, including grind, coffee-to-water ratio, water temperature and contact time.
Before deciding that you've bought the wrong Colombian coffee, make sure the brewing method is giving it a fair chance.
Colombian Coffee Can Work Beautifully With Milk
Many Colombian coffees have characteristics that work particularly well in espresso and milk-based drinks.
Sweetness, chocolate, caramel, nuts and balanced fruit can integrate beautifully with milk.
But that's not a rule for the entire country.
Other Colombian coffees can be highly aromatic, floral, fruit-driven or particularly bright and may be fascinating served black.
Rather than choosing solely because the bag says Colombia, read the flavour description and consider how you intend to brew and drink it.
Why Does Colombian Coffee Taste Different From One Bag to Another?
If one Colombian coffee tastes completely different from another, there doesn't need to be anything wrong with either of them.
The difference could result from:
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Growing region
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Individual farm or producer
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Altitude and microclimate
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Coffee variety
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Harvest and cherry selection
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Processing method
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Drying
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Green-coffee age and storage
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Roast profile
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Rest after roasting
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Brewing water
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Grind and extraction
That's what makes coffee interesting.
“Colombian” tells you where the coffee came from.
It doesn't tell you exactly what you're going to taste.
Explore Colombian Coffee for the Coffee Itself
Colombia produces an extraordinary range of coffees.
Some offer the familiar chocolate, caramel and balanced fruit characteristics many Australian coffee drinkers enjoy. Others can be considerably brighter, fruitier or more unusual.
We don't believe a Colombian coffee needs to be forced into a predetermined flavour profile simply because that's what people expect from the origin.
We'd rather evaluate the coffee that's actually in front of us and roast it accordingly.
You can explore Carlini's current single-origin coffees to see which origins and flavour profiles are currently available.
Choose the coffee because its characteristics appeal to you — not because somebody told you what an entire country is supposed to taste like.