Venezuelan Coffee: History and Flavor

Two centuries ago, Venezuelan coffee was a heavyweight of world trade. In the 1830s the country was the world’s third-largest coffee exporter, and coffee shipped through the port of Maracaibo became a familiar name in the trade. Then oil arrived, farms were abandoned, and Venezuela almost disappeared from the coffee map. Today it produces a tiny share of the world’s coffee, but a new generation of growers and baristas is working to put its beans back in specialty cafés.

Here is how Venezuelan coffee rose, fell and is slowly coming back, and what it tastes like.

Key takeaways

• Coffee reached Venezuela in the 1730s; the Jesuit priest José Gumilla is often credited with introducing it in 1732.
• In the 1830s Venezuela was the world’s third-largest coffee exporter, and in 1919 it exported about 82,000 tons.
• After oil exports began around 1917, coffee lost its central place in the economy.
• Price caps from 2003 and later economic collapse cut production further; by 2001 the country already made less than 1% of world coffee.
• Classic Venezuelan coffees, such as those shipped through Maracaibo, are known for a clean finish and relatively gentle acidity.

In this article

1. A short history of Venezuelan coffee
2. Timeline
3. Where coffee grows in Venezuela
4. What does Venezuelan coffee taste like?
5. Venezuelan coffee today
6. FAQ

A short history of Venezuelan coffee

Arrival in the 1700s

Accounts differ on exactly how coffee arrived. The most common version credits the Jesuit missionary José Gumilla with introducing it in 1732. Another links its early spread to the Táchira region in the Andes. Either way, coffee started as a minor crop. In the 1770s cacao was still Venezuela’s main export, and large coffee plantations appeared only from the 1790s.

The coffee century

Between 1811 and 1823, during the wars of independence, cacao production fell while coffee surged. By the 1830s Venezuela was the third-largest coffee exporter in the world. Under Antonio Guzmán Blanco, who came to power in the 1870s, coffee expanded quickly with the help of foreign loans. In the Andean frontier states, production rose roughly tenfold between 1830 and 1930, and before 1914 national output peaked at about 1 million bags a year.

Oil changes everything

In 1919 coffee and cacao together still made up three-quarters of Venezuela’s exports. That year the country exported about 82,000 tons of coffee. But the first petroleum exports, around 1917, had already begun to shift the economy. Soil erosion, poor farming practices and drier years cut yields in the 1920s, and oil money pulled labor and investment away from farms. By the 1950s most Venezuelan coffee was drunk at home rather than exported.

Price caps and crisis

By 2001 Venezuela produced less than 1% of the world’s coffee. In 2003 the government introduced price caps on coffee. Growers reported that production costs were well above the capped price, and output fell further. At one point imports, mainly from Brazil and Nicaragua, reached about half of local production. Economic collapse, hyperinflation and shortages of fuel and farm inputs in later years made things harder still.

Timeline

Where coffee grows in Venezuela

Coffee grows in two mountain systems: the Andes in the west and the coastal ranges in the north and east.

Most farms are small. Estimates put the number of producers at around 65,000, with typical farms of only a few hectares. Arabica grows at higher elevations, often under forest shade, while some Robusta grows in the lowlands. The traditional top export grade is called Lavado Fino, meaning fine washed. Today washed, honey and natural coffees are all produced, and the main harvest runs roughly from September to January.

What does Venezuelan coffee taste like?

Venezuelan coffee has a reputation for being clean, sweet and gentle. Traditional descriptions by region:

• Maracaibo-type coffees: bright but clean, with a crisp finish and lower acidity than many Latin American coffees.
• Mérida: fair to good body and a mild, sweet flavor.
• Táchira and Cúcuta: richer acidity, medium body and sometimes fruity notes.
• Caripe (east): soft and gentle, often compared with Caribbean island coffees.

If you enjoy smooth Colombian or Central American coffees, Venezuelan coffee sits in familiar territory. The Táchira style in particular is close to coffees from just across the border in Colombia. Our guide to Colombian coffee explains that neighboring profile.

Venezuelan coffee today

Volumes are small. One importer estimates exports at around 30,000 to 60,000 bags a year, a fraction of what the country shipped a century ago. Yet the same importer says quality is higher than it has ever been. Producers are experimenting with processing, a national specialty coffee foundation has organized competitions, and the country held its first barista championship in 2022. International importers have begun sourcing directly from Venezuelan farms again.

That makes Venezuelan coffee a rare find. If you spot a bag, it is usually a small lot with a story behind it.

Taste the neighborhood

We do not currently offer a Venezuelan coffee, but you can explore the same smooth, sweet style. Our Colombia Medellín is balanced and bright with dried orange, berry and chocolate notes. The Latin American Blend unites Central and South American coffees for nutty hints, mild fruit and a cocoa aftertaste, and House Blend is a clean medium roast with nutty, sweet chocolate notes.

Venezuelan coffee FAQ

Is Venezuelan coffee good?

The best lots are clean, sweet and well balanced, and specialty quality is improving. Availability is the main challenge, not quality.

Why did Venezuela stop producing so much coffee?

Oil replaced coffee as the economic engine in the 20th century, and later price controls and economic crisis made farming unprofitable for many growers.

What is Maracaibo coffee?

A traditional name for coffee from Venezuela’s western Andes, shipped through the port of Maracaibo.

Where is coffee grown in Venezuela?

Mainly in the Andean states of Táchira, Mérida and Trujillo, in Lara and Portuguesa, and in the northern and eastern coastal ranges.

Sources

1. Coffee production in Venezuela, Wikipedia.
2. Origins: Venezuela, Cafe Imports.

Facts checked in October 2026.

Keep reading: Colombian tinto · The history of coffee · Single origins