Colombia Santiago Ordoñez

Colombia Nariño Specialty Coffee: Balance and Versatility

Colombia Regional Nariño specialty coffee roasted by Animal Coffee. Our selection of specialty coffee from Colombia.

Perfect for any brewing method and especially recommended for espresso and moka pots. A profile with moderate body and acidity, roasted to bring out its notes of caramel, stone fruit, and citrus. Its flavor, balance, and versatility will make it your everyday favorite.

THE PRODUCER OF THIS COLOMBIAN SPECIALTY COFFEE

The producer of this Colombian specialty coffee is Santiago Ordoñez Carmona. Santiago is a young third-generation coffee farmer, although he wasn't always involved in agriculture.

Interestingly, before inheriting his grandmother's farm, he competed in cycling, representing the Caldas department team. In 2018, he achieved the perfect season, becoming the national under-23 champion in the individual time trial (ITT).

After his sporting career in Caldas, he took over the family farm, Miranda, in Nariño. In taking on this new challenge as a coffee farmer, Santiago has implemented rigorous water conservation practices on his farm to support sustainability. He also relies on shaded agroforestry systems, using trees native to the region, such as guamo and walnut trees. These trees not only provide shade for the coffee plants, but their roots also fix nitrogen, naturally improving soil fertility.

DEPARTMENT OF NARIÑO

Colombian specialty coffee is recognized worldwide. Colombia is a country with a coffee-growing tradition and is also the world's third-largest coffee producer. Colombian coffee is grown in the country's mountainous regions, and more than 500,000 coffee-growing families are involved in its production. As is customary with specialty coffee, Colombian coffee is harvested by hand. Each bean is picked at peak ripeness to ensure greater sweetness.

All Colombian coffee, not just specialty coffee, is 100% Arabica. It is grown at elevations between 1,300 and 2,000 meters, and Colombian coffees are known for their washed process.

The Department of Nariño is located in southwestern Colombia and is home to more than 40,000 coffee-growing families. The region is remarkably mountainous and has at least five volcanoes:

• Chiles (4,718 meters)
• Cumbal (4,764 meters)
• Azufral (4,070 meters)
• Doña Juana (4,250 meters)
• Galeras (4,276 meters)

Nariño is blessed with some of the country's best drying conditions thanks to the region's microclimate and high elevation, which provide lower relative humidity, more wind, and more sunny days than other areas of the country.

This Colombian specialty coffee lot comes from La Finca Miranda, located in San José de Albán, Nariño. San José has approximately 9,620 residents in 2026. Its economy is based mainly on the cultivation of coffee, cassava, fruits, and vegetables.

The unique combination of steep terrain, fertile volcanic soils, and the Andean climate produces this Colombian coffee for espresso and some of the country's most highly regarded specialty coffees.

The complex geography of this department – stretching from humid coastal plains to temperate Andean highlands – creates diverse microclimates. These microclimates allow producers to grow distinctive specialty coffee profiles throughout the region. In Nariño, specialty coffee is as diverse as its combinations of climate, Indigenous traditions, and generations of coffee-growing knowledge.

HARVESTING, WASHING, AND FERMENTING SPECIALTY COFFEE IN COLOMBIA

In Colombia, since most plantations are located in mountainous areas, ripe coffee cherries are picked by hand during the day. At the end of the day, the cherries are taken to the processing center, where they are unloaded and depulped.

Because water is readily available, the washed, or wet, process is predominant in Colombian specialty coffee. This process involves separating the bean from the skin and fermenting it in water tanks until the mucilage disappears. The beans are then dried, either in the sun or in drying machines. Finally, they are sifted or sorted by size.

The washed process gives Colombian coffee a lighter body, fruitier flavors, and higher acidity.

An interesting fact is that coffee husks are used as fuel. This improves energy efficiency and reduces waste.