BECOMING A COFFEE TASTING EXPERT

The notoriety of Juan Valdez goes way back in TV history. He was synonymous with coffee in the 80's and 90's in US TV. The memory of that Colombian coffee grower with his big hat and "ruana" or cape of local woven wool is as true today as it was then.

Armenia is the capitol of the "coffee triangle" in Colombia. It is about a 1/2 hour flight from Bogota. High in the Andes at about 8,000 ft. the coffee plants here grow strong in healthy. Although it is high, this area has a warm climate during the day and cool at night which is just what these beans need to mature.

A few years ago this area was infested by Marxist Guerrillas and drug lords. Tourists were not welcomed. The Colombian government has now routed out the great majority of these "bad guys" and tourism is becoming one of the strongest markets here, second only to the exportation of coffee.

Now this region is filled with small hotels and farms that accept guests and provide opportunities for hiking, mountain biking, riding and other fun things to do.
Exploring the coffee plantations by horseback or on foot is a great way to learn about coffee.

In Buenavista, the coffee plantation and hacienda San Alberto offers an adventure into coffee. You can graduate after a day there with their coffee expert, Francini Torres Corrales. This fellow teaches everything you ever wanted to know about coffee from the picking of the berries to the smells of over roasted coffee to how to recognize the good beans when you purchase them in your home grocery store.



Like wine tasting, Franciny teaches the process of coffee tasting and how to smell and taste the different versions of coffee. He takes you through the process from begining to end and explains why some coffees are less expensive than others. The best beans are bright red but as the pickers get paid by the weight of what they pick and the red beans are sometimes few and far between.....yellow and green beans are roasted along with the reds. The most expensive coffees such as that of San Alberto go through multiple selection process and only the bright red berries are used to serve the best coffee.


It is the mixed berries that we get here in the US and for that reason, we mix it with sugar and cream to cover the strong taste that often comes with a mixed berry blend.

At the end of the day, the visitor is given a certificate proclaiming that one is now a graduate in coffee expertise.

There are many other things to do in the Coffee Triangle.....hikes to waterfalls, visits to small towns filled with shops offering local crafts....rides in 1950's Jeep Willy's which are still in circulation after all these years.

But now I am on to the next place.....a warmer climate and some days in the sun in historic Cartagena. More on this later...when I get there.