Colombia Valledupar Natural is a fruit-forward specialty green coffee from the Valledupar and Norte de Santander growing areas of northeastern Colombia, sourced through the Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia — the FNC — from the 2025/26 fresh harvest. Where most Colombian coffee is washed and clean, this lot is naturally processed: whole cherries are sun-dried before milling, transferring fruit sugars directly into the bean and producing a cup that tastes unmistakably alive — cocoa, cherry, cereal, ripe fruit, wood, and red berries with a volatile, lively body and medium acidity. Scored SCA 84 plus, placing it in the excellent specialty tier, and screen-sorted to 17/18 (51%) and 15/16 (49%). For roasters and home roasters who want a Colombian green coffee that surprises — fruitier, wilder, and more expressive than any washed lot from the same origin. Cenicafé 1, Castillo, and Colombia varieties, 1,200 to 1,800 masl. Available in 1 lb, 2.5 lb, 10 lb, 15 lb, and 30 lb.
Ships across Canada. Wholesale supply available.
Cup profile +
Aroma
Ripe cherry, red berries, cocoa, light cereal sweetness
Tasting notes
Cocoa, cherry, cereal, ripe fruit, wood, red berries
Acidity
Fruit-backed, juicy, balanced
Body
Expressive, dynamic, evolving in the cup
Finish
Sweet, fruited, lingering cherry and cocoa
Roasting guide +
At 1,010 g/L this is a moderately dense natural that develops faster in the roaster than the denser washed lots in the catalogue — reduce charge temperature slightly and watch development carefully. The natural process fruit sugars need a thorough drying phase to drive off evenly. The cherry and red berry character is at its most vivid at medium roast, while the cocoa and wood tones deepen through medium-dark. The "volatile and lively" body descriptor is accurate in the roaster too: this lot rewards attention and shifts character quickly between roast levels, making it a rewarding green for roasters who enjoy profiling experiments across a single lot.
Medium roast
Drop 45 seconds after first crack. Cherry and red berries at maximum intensity. Cocoa rounds the profile. Ripe fruit sweetness in the finish. Best for pour-over, filter, and drip where the fruit character can express fully.
Medium-dark roast
Drop 75 seconds after first crack. Fruit deepens toward dried cherry and cooked berry. Cocoa becomes chocolate. Wood tones add structure. A distinctive fruit-driven espresso at this level — expressive shots with natural sweetness.
Dark roast
Drop 10 seconds after second crack. Bold chocolate and roasted depth with fruit warmth persisting in the background. Adds natural sweetness and interest to dark espresso blends where a standard washed Colombian would taste flat.
About this coffee +
Valledupar sits in the César department of northeastern Colombia at the foot of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, the world's highest coastal mountain range. Together with the neighbouring Norte de Santander department, the elevated growing areas of this corridor produce coffee at 1,200 to 1,800 metres above sea level in a microclimate shaped by mountain altitude and Caribbean proximity — conditions that are meaningfully different from the interior Colombian coffee axis of Huila, Cauca, and Nariño. The region remains one of the least represented Colombian origins in the Canadian green coffee market, which makes lots from this corridor genuinely uncommon finds for roasters building differentiated menus.
Natural processing transforms what this origin produces. When the whole cherry is sun-dried before milling, the fruit sugars ferment slowly into the bean over weeks of drying — and in this lot the result is a distinctly fruit-forward Colombian cup: cocoa, cherry, cereal, ripe fruit, wood, and red berries. The "volatile and lively" body reflects a cup that evolves noticeably as it cools, revealing different fruit tones at different temperatures. Colombia's coffee institutions built the country's reputation on washed processing, so a natural lot sourced through the Federación Nacional de Cafeteros — with FNC traceability and quality documentation behind it — represents both institutional credibility and processing novelty in a single green coffee.
Scored SCA 84 plus, this lot sits in the excellent specialty tier, and the technical measurements support the score: water activity of 0.571 and moisture between 10.7% and 11.2% confirm careful drying management, and the dual screen sort of 17/18 (51%) and 15/16 (49%) provides physical consistency in the roaster. For home roasters this is one of the most interesting Colombian greens in the catalogue to explore across roast levels. For roasteries it offers a fruit-driven Colombian single origin or blend component that stands apart from every washed lot on the menu.
Specifications +
Origin
Colombia
Region
Valledupar and Norte de Santander
Source
Federación Nacional de Cafeteros (FNC)
Process
Natural
SCA score
84+
Harvest
2025/26
Altitude
1,200 to 1,800 masl
Variety
Cenicafé 1, Castillo, Colombia
Screen size
17/18 (51%) and 15/16 (49%)
Density
1,010 g/L
Water activity
0.571
Moisture
10.7% to 11.2%
Recommended roast
Medium, medium-dark, dark
Available sizes
1 lb, 2.5 lb, 10 lb, 15 lb, 30 lb
Frequently asked questions +
What does natural process Colombian coffee taste like?
Where washed Colombian coffee is clean, structured, and citrus-forward, natural Colombian coffee tastes fruitier, sweeter, and wilder. In this Valledupar lot the natural process produces cocoa, cherry, cereal, ripe fruit, wood, and red berry character — flavour territory that washed Colombian lots simply do not reach. The body is described as volatile and lively because the cup evolves noticeably as it cools, showing different fruit tones at different temperatures. If your reference point for Colombian coffee is a clean washed Huila, this lot will genuinely surprise you.
How is this different from the other Colombian natural in the catalogue?
United Beans carries two FNC-sourced Colombian naturals and they are distinctly different cups. The Santander natural is the savory one — cereal, oak, spice, and cashew with a full coating body, scored SCA 82 plus. This Valledupar natural is the fruity one — cocoa, cherry, red berries, and ripe fruit with a lively, expressive body, scored SCA 84 plus. Roasting both side by side is one of the most instructive comparisons in the catalogue: same country, same varieties, same processing method, two completely different flavour directions driven by region and lot character.
Is this a good green coffee for pour-over and filter brewing?
Yes — at medium roast this is one of the most rewarding filter coffees in the Colombian range. The cherry and red berry character expresses most fully through pour-over and drip brewing, and the evolving body means the cup keeps revealing new tones as it cools. It also performs well as a fruit-driven espresso at medium-dark, where the cherry deepens and the cocoa becomes chocolate. Roasters who want one lot to cover both a distinctive filter offering and an expressive espresso will find this covers both roles.
How should I store this green coffee?
Store in a cool, dry place away from direct light and moisture. Green coffee is stable for 12 to 18 months in correct storage conditions. We ship all our green coffee in 9 layer hermetic Ecotact bags to preserve moisture content and the aromatic character of this lot between roasting sessions.
