The Perfection of Colombian Coffee, Explained.

Ask any coffee lovers and chances are they'd pick Colombian coffee as one of their favourites.

Maybe it's because of how well it balances tastes that are rich and nutty but also bright, fruity, and lively.

Maybe it's because of the Arabica beans that go into it, which gives off a faint aroma of blueberries while producing flavours that range from sweet to tangy.

Maybe it's because they just do.

Nespresso's Master Origin Colombia is a fruity and vibrant take of the famous coffee. It uses only high-grown, washed processed Colombian Arabica so you could taste every bit of the lively acidity and the burst of winey red fruit aromas.

Why Colombian coffee tastes oh-so-perfect

It's the season.

Colombia's proximity to the equator means that it goes through not one, but TWO harvest seasons in a year.

As a result, the nation is able to provide fresh coffee all throughout the year, as compared to other coffee-growing regions in the world which only enjoy one harvest season.

It's the soil.

The soil that coffee grows on decides how good the coffee is.

Volcanic soil, which Colombia has plenty of, is considered to be nutrient-packed and so, the best soil for coffee growth.

It's the altitude.

Colombia is made up of many mountainous regions that are elevated, on average, 2,000 feet above sea level.

Colombian coffee, which is grown in these regions at an altitude of 4,000 to 6,000 feet above sea level, leads to richer, higher-quality coffee that's fruitier and berry flavoured.

It's the weather.

Colombian coffee grows mainly in the Zona Cafetera, or the Coffee Belt, in the regions of Medellin, Cali, and Bogota.

These areas enjoy a minimum of 200 cm of rainfall every year with a spring-like temperature of 8 to 24 degrees Celsius. Together with their mountainous terrains, these regions are considered to be one of the best coffee-growing locations in the world.

It's the technique.

What really sets Colombian coffee apart is its harvesting process.

The 600,000 strong farmers in Colombia forgo the “strip picking” method – which pulls the coffee off the branches all at one go – in favour of “cherry-picking” the beans by hand.

This additional human touch means that they, all seasoned coffee-pickers, could differentiate between ripe, unripe, and overripe beans. They'd then pick only the finest beans to be processed.

It's the protection.

The majority of coffee farms in Colombia are small and family-owned, measuring at no more than 12 acres in size.

With fewer areas to cover, the farmers could then concentrate on properly nurturing the beans; often by growing them on steep slopes under the shade of trees and banana plants to prevent the beans being sunburnt.

It's the beans.

Colombia is famous for producing Arabica beans, the priciest and most in-demand variety of them all.

For good reasons too; they're subtly sweet with notes of fruit and sugar and tend to produce sweeter cups of coffee with complex aromas and smooth, rich textures.

They're considered to be superior to its Robusta counterpart, which often gives off a bolder, denser, and less refined taste.

It's everything.

All these factors – geography, technique, and heritage – combine to give Colombian coffee the reputation it enjoys and frankly, deserves. Otherwise, the nation wouldn't be supplying 15% of the world's coffee today.

If Colombian Coffee didn't sound tempting before, we hope that it does now.

Nespresso, through its Master Origins Colombia, gives you all the traditional goodness of Colombian coffee, but with a few major differences:

• For one, it uses Late Harvest Arabica, which are Arabica beans harvested at precisely the right moment by seasoned coffee-pickers.
• Also, its quality remains consistent over time, courtesy of the Nespresso AAA Sustainable Quality Program, which takes care of the well-being of coffee farmers so they always stay in an optimum state to produce higher quality coffee.
• Finally, our capsules are made from 80% recycled aluminium, which gives you the assurance that while you’re enjoying your favourite drink, you’re not doing any harm to the environment.

All of these lead back to that cup of smooth and fruity coffee, in which you'll taste the winey red fruit notes of blackcurrant and cranberry.

But that's not all there is to it.

If you like your Colombian coffee with a bit more milk, the Master Origins Colombia makes a satisfying cup of Cappuccino too. When milk froth is added to the mix, sweet biscuit notes emerge, making it a sweet and delicate affair every time.

Check out our how to buy a perfect coffee cup guide before buying a perfect cup for your coffee next time.

Now that you know what makes Colombian coffee so perfect, try one. Get the Master Origins Colombia for only RM2.70.