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    Home » Single Origin Coffee Beans » South American Coffees

    Bolivian Coffee Beans

    The medium-bodied Bolivian coffee has been compared to Colombian coffee. It's a South American country landlocked by by Peru and Chile to the West, Brazil to the North-West, and Argentina / Paraguay to the South.

    • Growing Altitude: 1,400 - 1,600 meters above sea level
    • Arabica Variety: Typica, Caturra, Catuai
    • Milling Process: Washed, Sun-dried
    • Aroma: Herbal, Dark Chocolate
    • Flavor: Fruity (Mandarin), Caramel, Pepper, Vanilla
    • Body: Good
    • Acidity: Mild Citric, Phosphoric

    Bolivia produces coffees at very high elevations - above 1,400 meters, which qualifies most of its coffee as Strictly High Grown (1,450 m+). It's landlocked on all sides by Peru, Brazil, Argentina and Chila, and contains a portion of the Andes mountains. Quinoa has become a famous crop of Bolivia in recent years

    The majority of coffee grown is Typica, with Caturra and some Catuai available. Major coffee growing regions include the Yungas, Santa Cruz, Cochabamba, Tarija, Beni and Pando, with over 90% of the coffee production coming from the Yungas.

    Bolivian Coffee Tasting Notes

    Bolivian coffee is known for its classic and clean taste with a delicate, bright acidity and a sweet, aromatic quality with fruity notes including apple, pear, tangerine, lemon, and apricot. Caramelly and mild chocolate flavors may develop during the coffee roasting process.

    Bolivian Coffee Plant Varietals

    Most of the coffee plants grown in Bolivia are of the coffee plant varietal Typica (Coffea arabica var. typica), though there are also some Caturra plants (Coffea arabica var. caturra).

    Small coffee farms have lacked access to proper fertilizer and minerals to support optimal growth of coffee trees and beans, resulting in low crop outputs in recent years. A lack of infrastructure also means that Bolivia has difficulty exporting to other countries, but it is available from time to time from green coffee importers in the United States and Canada.

    Distributors and brokers are continuing to work on developing the wholesale coffee trade in Bolivia, and it should see some good growth in the upcoming years.

    Organic and Fair Trade Coffee in Bolivia

    Also grown in Bolivia is a significant amount of organic coffee and Fair Trade coffee. In recent years Bolivia has made significant gains in the quality of their unroasted green coffee bean processing methods. Shade grown coffee is also a fairly common practice.

    Bolivian Cacao and Chocolate

    Growing conditions favorable to coffee also create ideal conditions for Cacao, and Bolivian chocolate is a special treat. Cacao is also roasted similarly to coffee, albeit at a lower temperature of 325 degrees and gradually lowered over 15-30 minutes to allow the insides of the larger beans to roast properly.

    Trinitario is the most common variety of fine-flavor cocoa, and makes a delicious dark chocolate, as well as mixing great with fruits such as cherry or blackberry, and coffee.

    Bolivian Coffee and Espresso Brewing Tips

    For tips on brewing the perfect cup of Bolivia coffee see our section on coffee brewing. We also provide detailed coffee flavor profiles of Premium Gourmet Coffees and tips on preparing Espresso Drink Recipes.

    For espresso brewing tips see the comprehensive Pulling A Perfect Espresso Shot and then brush up on your barista skills with the How to make Lattes and Cappuccinos.

    Buy Gourmet Coffee Beans

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    Green Coffee Production

    Year60kg bagsCoffee grown
    201690,000 bags11,880,000 pounds
    201589,219 bags11,776,921 pounds
    2014106,377 bags14,041,711 pounds
    2013127,912 bags16,884,410 pounds
    2012114,781 bags15,151,118 pounds

    Green Coffee Exports

    Year60kg bagsCoffee exported
    201600 pounds
    201529,2203,857,040 pounds
    201446,3806,122,160 pounds
    201367,9108,964,120 pounds
    201254,7807,230,960 pounds

    Data may not be available for the most recent year.
    Source: ICO


    Facts

    Bolivia is the #36 largest coffee growing country in the world, in 2015 they...
    produced 11,776,921 lbs
    exported 3,857,040 lbs
    That's only 33% exported!

    Sounds like a lot? It's actually 0.1% of the coffee grown worldwide.

    Bolivia coffee is grown on mountainside "fincas" (farms) at 1400 to 1600 meters above sea level
    (that's 4,593 to 5,250 ft)


    Source: ICO

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Bolivian

      June 25, 2018 at 9:57 pm

      Bolivians prefer the " corrado" style, coffee that has sugar, do you carry it?

      Reply
    2. John

      October 27, 2017 at 5:21 pm

      I love the Trader Joe's Bolivian coffee!!

      Reply
    3. Shirley

      December 03, 2012 at 11:07 pm

      Hi, Bolivian coffe it is very good the taste very special very original flavor I encourage every one to have one cup delicius.

      Reply

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