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Venezuelan Coffee – Why It’s So Rare & How to Brew It – Quick Guides

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Venezuela

$ 0.50 - $1.20 per ounce

  • How to serve: Usually served as Cafe con Leche, which is just coffee with milk
  • flavor: Naturally sweet with a balanced and very pleasant acidity
Varieties Arabica, Robusta, Bourbon Typica, Caturra, Mundo Novo
How to Serve Usually served as Cafe con Leche, which is just coffee with milk
Flavor Naturally sweet with a balanced and very pleasant acidity
Recommended Machine Espresso, Moka Pot, French Press, Stovetop
Good As Espresso, Americano, Doppio, Macchiato, Cappuccino
Price Range $0.50 – $1.20 per ounce
Caffeine Level 1.5% on average

Coffee appeared in Venezuela along with the Spanish colonists in the 1700s. Production began to develop in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, with the first plantations appearing in the Premontane region. Now the share of Venezuela accounts for less than 1% of the world’s coffee production, almost all products remain on the domestic market, a small part is exported. But it was not always so.

Venezuelan coffee shows a good body, pleasant sweet aroma. The best examples are characterized by high acidity, medium body, and fruity notes. This is characteristic of both the Arabica and Robusta beans cultivated in the country. The sub-varieties include:

Bourbon Typica Caturra Mundo Novo

Most of the Venezuelan coffee is grown in the highlands on the forested slopes of the Andes. Plantations are located in the natural shade of trees at an altitude of 1000-5000 feet above sea level, individual farms can be even higher, up to 5900-6500 feet, but they do not have high yields and productivity.

As for coffee types, Bourbon, Typica, Caturra, Mundo Novo grow on alpine plantations in the shade of forests, and robusta grows on the plains.

Venezuela does not boast a wide selection of famous brands. Local coffee rarely leaves the country; coffee shop owners or small producers buy it, grind and roast it themselves. There are many brands in the country, and none of them are known outside their village or region.

Native Venezuelan Coffee Types Explained

There are a few native types such as Maracaibo, Merida, Tachira, Trujillo, Cucuta and Caracas (all sub-varieties of Arabica). But we will talk about a few of them only. Arabica is cultivated in the mountainous regions of Venezuela while the plains focus on Robusta. Young trees begin to bear fruit after 4 years. Each lives for about 50 years.

The most famous variety growing is “Caracas”, named after the capital of the state. It is usually shipped through the port of La Guaira.

The best examples of Venezuelan coffee are labeled as “Lavado Fino”. The main buyers are companies from the USA, Germany, and Belgium.

Caracas – Best Venezuelan Coffee Beans from The West Part

The aromas of this coffee are very clear, creating an unforgettable contrast to the other varieties of Venezuelan coffees.

The grains give a rich and sweet infusion and a bright sweet aroma that strongly resembles Brazilian Santos. Thanks to these features, this type of coffee is very popular in Spain and France. It’s mostly grown in the mountain plantations surrounding the capital, thus the origin of the name.

Tachira – Higher Elevation

The best beans are grown in the Tachira province in the southwest of the country. Coffee grown in Venezuela has a delicate taste with a subtle sourness, it is used as specialty coffees and in various blends.

Tachira is somewhat reminiscent of Colombian coffee in taste and aroma. It is also known as Cucuta, or Cucuta-Colombia, and has pretty bright acidity. It is more of a Colombian variety bur since it is shipped through the Venezuelan port of Maracaibo, some people mistake it for a local one.

The higher elevation of Tachira (2800 feet) has a significant impact on the taste, which is why it’s so distinct from other local sub-varieties. Tachira is a very fertile region and boasts an increased production compared to other regions in the past years.

Maracaibo – Lavado Fino

Maracaibo is named in honor of the port city through which it is supplied to other countries. Its light acidity and subtle taste of dry wine give the Maracaibo variety a unique charm, it’s just one of a kind with nothing coming even remotely close to it.

Top Venezuelan Coffee Brands on Amazon

Venezuelan coffee brands are known for their taste and sweet aroma, which can literally blow your mind. While the selection process can be difficult for most people, we have made everything easier for you. Through accurate assessment, we have chosen the best Venezuelan coffee brands on Amazon that are known for their good reputation and quality down below.

How We Rated Them

We pay attention to the following:

For more detailed information on how exactly we rate the coffee products we suggest in our guides, click here.

Individual Overviews of Our Top Choices

We have chosen 3 Venezuelan coffee brands that are present on our list. Each of them can be distinguished by size, price, roast, and brewing methods. Depending on your taste and preferences you can choose any of the below-mentioned coffees. So without further ado let’s move to the products and explore them thoroughly.

Crio Bru Herbal Tea Coffee

Price: $30.95 (subject to change)

Size: 24 oz

Type: Arabica

Roast: Medium

Producer: Crio Bru

Beans: Ground

Initially, when I purchased this coffee, I was a little suspicious about its taste and reputation. However, my expectations immediately fell short, as soon as I tasted Crio Bru Herbal Tea Coffee in the morning.

It’s a mix of herbal aromas from the coarse tea mixed in with the ground coffee as well as that sweet sweet bitterness you expect from your morning cup of java.

I can say that the price for such coffee is pretty normal and the size is decent as well. I’d say that this package will last one person for around 2 weeks, depending on how much you drink of course. If it’s around 2 cups a day then you should be just fine with the amount.

Puroast House Blend

Price: $$21.00 (subject to change)

Size: 40 oz

Type: Arabica

Roast: Medium

Producer: Puroast

Beans: Ground

I purchased this coffee because of a Venezuelan friend of mine, who told me that I would be pleasantly surprised. He was right – the moment I decided to brew the coffee with my friends, we were left speechless – one of the best experiences I have ever had while tasting a cup of coffee. Just having a look at the package and its design is enough to grab it and brew the coffee. The incredible smell and pleasant aroma of Puroast House Blend make it one of the best Venezuelan coffee brands.

Coffee Round The World Venezuelan Beans

Price: $$23.99 (subject to change)

Size: 12 oz

Type: Arabica

Roast: Light, Medium, Dark

Producer: Coffee Round The World

Beans: Ground

Coffee Round The World always manages to get its hands on the most organic and authentic products out there. When I saw that they had this package on Amazon, I knew immediately that I had to feature it on this list.

These beans are directly from farms in Caracas, making it the best product on our list. I know, it’s in the bottom, but I thought keeping the best for last would be pretty cool.

The price to size ratio wouldn’t be the best if it wasn’t for this particular brand. I got the medium roast version because I wanted to feel those subtle hints of other natural flavors, and I’m happy to say that I got what I wanted.

This is superb coffee and I can’t recommend it enough. 10/10, the best Venezuelan coffee you’ll ever have.

Venezuelan Coffee Brewing Tips – Best Types & Machines

Venezuelans love to have a cup of hot espresso in the morning, even on the hottest day. They then drink coffee after work, preferring to gather in small local coffee shops with family and friends. In addition to Espresso Machines, Dripping filters are often used (instead of modern technology, you can often find an ordinary flask with a piece of cloth or even a simple toe) together with French presses.

There are a few ways that you can make Venezuelan coffee so we will go through the most common ones.

The Standard Café – Americano Style

The first one is a standard method – the Americano style. Venezuelan coffee made with a Moka Pot turns out to be rich and has a dense body due to the created pressure within.

For brewing you will need:

You should immediately use hot water, as it helps to speed up the extraction process, get rid of unwanted bitterness, and not get a metallic aftertaste in the drink.

  1. Pour water into the base of the Moka Pot, and add ground coffee to the filter.
  2. Place the coffee maker on the stove and close the lid.
  3. Listen for a gurgling sound
  4. Pour your coffee into a cup
  5. Run the Moka Pot under cold water

We should also note that the “sock filtering” method is something most Latino cultures use for their coffee.

Learn How to Make Americano

The Café Con Leche – Simple & Tasty

The Cafe con Leche directly translates to coffee with milk, so it’s a pretty easy one to describe. The milk adds a very subtle flavor to an already slightly sweet and savory aroma of Venezuelan coffee beans. Usually, such coffee is brewed with a French Press.

This coffee recipe doesn’t require anything other than a simple machine. For the Cafe con Leche you will need:

Additionally:

Once your Espresso is ready, simply fill the cup ⅓ of the way with warm milk and pour in the brew. Once done, just mix it well and enjoy.

The Venezuelan Coffee – A Cocktail

It’s not surprising that coffee goes great with alcohol, and the Venezuelans haven’t missed it.

Ingredients:

As for the brewing method you need to follow the instructions below to make the best cocktail with Venezuelan coffee beans.

  1. Brew the Espresso
  2. Leave it to cool for 5 minutes.
  3. Add sugar and liquor
  4. Stir for a few seconds
  5. Pour in the whipped cream gently
  6. Enjoy

If you are not a sweet tooth, then you do not need to add sugar, since the liqueur is very sweet on its own.

Frequently Asked Questions on Venezuelan Coffee Beans

Is Venezuelan coffee good?

What does Venezuelan coffee taste like?

What is the cost of coffee in Venezuela?