Harvest window
When the cherries turn red
The main crop and the smaller mitaca crop shift by region. Broadly, much of the country sees a main harvest from September into December, while a second fly crop often arrives from April through June.
Let's Talk← The Coffee Belt
Coffee origin · Colombia
Colombia
Where two harvests climb the Andes
Imagine steep green mountains after rain: orange blossom in the air, red cherries tucked under glossy leaves, and warm panela melting into a cup.
CaramelPanelaMilk chocolateCitrusRed fruitBalanced acidity
Stand in the landscape
Before it is coffee,
it is a place.
Three Andean cordilleras split Colombia into thousands of tiny climates. High elevations slow the cherry, bright days build sweetness, and cool nights help preserve acidity. The result is not one Colombian flavor, but an entire library of them.
Harvest rhythm
How often the trees give
Colombia’s latitude and mountain geography allow coffee to ripen somewhere in the country during much of the year. Many farms work two meaningful picking seasons instead of one single national harvest.
In the field
How the fruit is gathered
On steep family farms, pickers usually move through the trees several times and select ripe cherries by hand. Selective picking protects quality because green, red, and overripe fruit can share the same branch.
From fruit to seed
How flavor takes shape
Washed processing is traditional: fruit is pulped, fermented to loosen the mucilage, washed, and dried. Honey and natural lots are growing, adding fruitier and sometimes wilder expressions.
The map inside the cup
Regions to know
Common cup tendencies
What you may taste
Flavor changes with variety, farm, elevation, processing, roast, water, grind, and brewing method. These are common tendencies, not guarantees.From this origin to the world
How Colombia
changed coffee.
Colombia helped teach the world to recognize coffee by origin. Its reliable balance made it a foundation for breakfast blends, while distinctive regional lots helped specialty drinkers learn that Huila can taste very different from Nariño.
Brands and roasters that commonly feature this originJuan ValdezStarbucksNespressoLavazzaPeet’s
Origin offerings and blend recipes change by season and market.Harvest timing varies by region and weather. Research starting points:
National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia ↗Café de Colombia — origin and regions ↗Back to Coffee With Krissy