Colombia Arabica (Supremo & Excelso)

Supremo scr 17/18 & Excelso scr 14/16, fully washed

Colombian arabica is graded on screen size rather than on defect count in the way Brazil is, and the two names that matter are Supremo and Excelso. Supremo is the large-bean grade, screen 17 and above, and it is what the export trade markets; Excelso covers screen 14 to 16 and is the workhorse the domestic and blending trade actually consumes in volume. Both are fully washed — depulped, fermented, washed and dried — which strips the fruit away and produces the clean, bright, balanced cup with citric acidity that defines the washed milds category. Moisture runs 10–12%, water activity at or below 0.60, with the Federación Nacional de Cafeteros standards and the protected Café de Colombia designation governing what may be exported under the name. The standard export bag is 70 kg, unusual in a trade that otherwise runs on 60.

Buy Colombia when the cup needs acidity and clarity: single-origin filter, the bright component of a blend that Brazil cannot supply, speciality espresso where a lively cup is wanted, and any programme selling on origin recognition — Colombia has consumer name value that few origins match. The size question is worth being unsentimental about. Supremo screens larger and commands a premium, but bean size and cup quality are only loosely correlated; a good Excelso from a strong region will out-cup a mediocre Supremo. If you are roasting for a blend where the bean is never seen, Excelso is frequently the better commercial buy, and paying Supremo money for it buys appearance and a name. Where Supremo earns the premium is a single-origin retail bag where the customer sees the bean, and in roasters that need even bean size for consistent development. CBIL brokers Colombian arabica against verification of screen distribution, defect count, moisture, water activity and cup score, quoted as a differential to the ICE "C", on FOB Buenaventura and Cartagena, CFR and CIF terms.