Coffee bean recommendations | How to choose coffee beans from the coffee producing regions of Central and South America?

Central and South America are the most important coffee producing regions in the world today, and more than half of the coffee beans consumed worldwide come from here.

Here’s a flavor profile of South American coffee beans from the most popular single origin coffees!

Colombia

Colombia is the world's third largest coffee producer and exporter, the world's largest exporter of Arabica coffee beans, and the world's largest exporter of washed coffee beans.

Colombia has a mild climate and humid air. The diverse climate makes it a harvest season all year round, and different types of coffee mature at different times. They grow Arabica coffee beans of unique quality. The coffee ground from these beans has a rich taste and endless aftertaste, and can be called a fine coffee. Nowadays, many people equate "Colombian coffee" with "high quality" and "good taste".

Taste: Full viscosity, caramel sweetness, smooth and pleasant fruit acidity.

Origin: Medellin, Armenia and Manizales

Recommended coffee beans:

Colombian Huilan (washed medium-dark roast)-rich acidity, caramel, sweet nuts, chocolate, red wine flavors, and admirable fruit flavors.

Colombian Bourbon Pointed Leroy (washed, naturally dried) - Dark chocolate and ripe fruit aromas, caramel and nut (cashew) flavors, very rich layers.

Colombian Santa Rita (washed medium) - sour with sweetness, low bitterness, rich in nutrients, with a unique sour and mellow taste, the three flavors of sour, bitter and sweet are just right

Guatemala

The coffee produced in Guatemala is one of the world's top coffees, mainly Bourbon, Typica, Caturra and Catuai. The coffee belt is mainly distributed at an altitude of more than 1,500 meters. It has tropical rainforests, volcanic geology and changeable microclimate conditions, which makes the coffee beans produced in this area have a unique flavor.

Guatemala produces coffee beans with rich fruity aroma, which are known for their elegant and lively acidity, clean taste without impurities, and distinct layers. It was ranked as the largest coffee producer in Central America for most of the 20th and 21st centuries. Guatemala has a total of eight major producing areas. The classification of these eight producing areas is usually used to describe the highest grade SHB coffee. Among them, the coffees in the five volcanic producing areas and the three non-volcanic producing areas are very unique and enjoy a high reputation in the international market.

Taste: Strong, rich taste, tobacco flavor, slightly charcoal flavor

Origin: Antigua

Recommended coffee beans:

Antigua La Capra Estate Bourbon (red wine processing method) - fruity flavor of white grapes, aroma of rose tea, soft acidity and brown sugar sweetness, very full texture.

Antigua Flora Estate Bourbon A2 (washed medium roast) - Aroma of lemon peel, vanilla biscuits, nuts and cocoa flavors, caramel sweetness, soft and restrained acidity, delicate, smooth and solid taste.

Inherit Estate Vivette Nan Fruit (Washed Medium to Dark) – Elegant floral and orange peel aromas, with nutty flavors of cream and macadamia in the back.

Inherit Estate Pandora Pacamara (Washed Medium to Dark) – Rich floral and honey notes, juicy peach and citrus flavors.

costa rica

Costa Rica's coffee industry started early and it was the first country in Central America to grow coffee. In 1820 , the first batch of coffee was shipped to Colombia. In 1854 , it was praised as "golden beans" by British aristocrats. Since then, coffee has become Costa Rica's main cash crop. This development has also made the status of Costa Rican coffee farmers become noble.

Colombia's most mature processing method, honey-processed coffee, generally has a great balance of sweetness and fruity acidity. The flavor is generally not as strong as sun-dried coffee, but it is fresher and more mellow. The key to the flavor difference comes from the sugar and acidity in the pectin layer. During the exposure period, the sugar in the pectin layer will become more and more concentrated, and this sugar will penetrate into the coffee beans.

The coffee beans produced in Costa Rica's high latitudes are of high quality.

Taste: Rich, mild flavor, ideal acidity, unique and strong aroma.

Origin: Tarrazu, Juan Vinas (PR), Tournon (H.Tournon), Windmill (SHB), Montebello and Santa Rosa

Recommended coffee beans:

Tallazhu produced in San Roman processing plant sun-dried black pearl (sun-dried) - creamy texture, with fermented flavors of ripe fruits and sweet and sour taste, coffee cherry and chocolate aftertaste.

Taraju Diamond Hill Estate Washed SHB Caturra (medium sun-dried) - soft orange-tangerine notes, toast, caramel cocoa sweetness, clean taste.

Central Valley Phoenix Manor SHB Grade (Red Honey Processed) - Sweet lemon sourness, delicate acidity and soft texture, balanced taste of red honey processing, caramel sweetness and chocolate flavor in the back, and a little bit of black tea feeling.

Verasa Specialty from Shumava Estate in the Western Valley of Dato Rica (medium sun-dried) - soft, delicate and bright fruit acidity, flavors of coffee cherry and grape, sun-dried wine aroma mixed with chocolate flavor, very distinctive flavor.

Panama

Panama is a small country located in the center of the American continent with a total area of ​​75,517 square kilometers. Its geographical location is "S"-shaped, connecting North America and South America. It is connected to Colombia in the east, the Pacific Ocean in the south, Costa Rica in the west, and the Caribbean Sea in the north. The best coffee is grown in the western part of the country.

In terms of climate, Panama is close to the equator and has a tropical marine climate, with humid days and cool nights, and an average annual temperature of 23-27°C. The year is divided into two seasons, dry and rainy, with an average annual precipitation of 1500-2500 mm.

Taste: Clean and fresh taste, unique fruit flavor and aroma, exuding an elegant and charming floral perfume fragrance, gentle, clean and balanced, with a long-lasting, lively and rich fruit sweetness in the aftertaste.

Origin: Boquet, Cafe Volcan Baru

Recommended coffee beans:

Panama Irieta Estate SHB Caturra (washed and sun-dried) - Rich creamy aroma and honey sweetness, with a nutty aftertaste of roasted almonds and macadamia nuts in the back, soft acidity, soft texture and warmth.

Cesar Louis Estate, Boquete, Panama (washed and sun-dried) - floral aroma, slightly sour citrus, and a clean and bright taste.

Panama Geisha Aristar Boquete Baru Volcano (Washed)——Charming osmanthus and orange peel aroma, sweet and sour citrus and pineapple, complex fruit flavor, and vanilla aftertaste at the end. From hot to cool, the layers are rich and complex.

Panama Hartman Honey-Processed Elida (Medium to Light Honey Processed) - The flavors of fig and white grapes, soft fruit acidity, and the full-bodied sweetness of maple syrup and honey.

El Salvador

El Salvador is known as the "Land of Volcanoes". Volcanic soil creates high-quality coffee trees, and also makes Salvadorans and coffee interdependent. Geographically, El Salvador is located between Honduras and Guatemala, with the Pacific Ocean to the south. The terrain is mainly mountainous and plateau, and the volcanic zone is rich in minerals. In addition, most coffee plantations in El Salvador use shade planting.

Taste: Lively and tart, sometimes biscuit-like, sometimes fruity, with excellent thickness and oiliness.

Origin: Pipil, Pacamara

Recommended coffee beans:

El Salvador Ataisi Estate Micro Batch Washed Pacamara (Washed Natural Medium) - Nutty chocolate, passion fruit sweet and sour, creamy chocolate, strawberry aftertaste, nut.

Finca Himalaya Red Bourbon, El Salvador (medium half-sun exposure) - The red wine has acidity, plums, and a full brown sugar taste with a long aftertaste.

El Salvador Salares Estate Hot Spring Honey Processed (honey processed medium dark roasted) - Hot spring coffee is very clean, with rich fruity aroma, caramel and nutty flavors, low acidity and soft taste.

Brazil

Brazil is a world coffee producer and is known as the Coffee Kingdom. It is the world's largest producer and exporter, accounting for more than 30% of the world's coffee production. One-sixth of the world's coffee is produced here. Brazil is also the second largest coffee consumer after the United States. There are about 300,000 farmers engaged in coffee cultivation, but coffee is mainly distributed in the southern production areas of Brazil. Compared with other coffee producing countries in Central and South America, most of Brazil's coffee is grown in plains with significantly lower altitudes, mostly around 600-1000 meters. Even in Southern Minas, Cerrado and Mogiana, there are rarely 1,300 meters. It is for this reason that Brazilian beans themselves are soft, and they do not have the hardness and strong sourness of high-altitude coffee, so most of its beans are medium-acid, mild and smooth in taste, with good mellowness and sufficient sweetness. Even if they are mixed with other beans, the taste will not change much.

Taste: Low acidity, strong nutty flavor, good chocolate sweetness and mellowness, but slightly woody and earthy, with little floral and citrus aroma.

Origin: São Paulo (Mogiana, Centro-Oeste), Paraná (Norte Pionerio do Paraná), Bahia (Planaltoda Bahia, Cerrado da Bahia, Atlantico Baiano), Espírito Santo (Montanhas do Espírito Santo, Conilon Capixaba), Minas Gerais (Sul de Minas, Cerrado Mineiro, Chapada de Minas, Matas de Minas), Rondonia (Rond?nia), Rio de Janeiro (Rio de Janeiro)

Recommended coffee beans:

Brazilian Southern Minas Bourbon (half-sun medium) – roasted melon seeds, mellow and full, dark chocolate, sweet aftertaste

Brazilian Bourbon Santos (Medium) – Multiple flavors, low acidity, smooth mouthfeel

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