Colombia Huila Monserrate

Notes on Colombia Huila Monserrate

It always helps us to understand our coffees better if we just make a trip to their source. Sounds exotic and maybe time consuming, but ultimately nothing tells us more about why the coffee tastes like it does.

When our roastmaster made a trip to Colombia last year, he was shown an amazing coffee with a rich story behind it. We booked this new crop on his recommendation, and continued to get enthusiastic reports from our importer.

This 2006 crop of Colombia came in rich and satisfying. The balance and elegance of the cup works well with lemon pound cake, or perhaps a bacon, egg, and pancake breakfast, (buckwheat pancakes, please).

Origin notes:

Colombian coffee has traditionally been a homogenized; sweet cup for the masses- a blend of many lots- some good and some ordinary. In recent years, however, producers have been listening to the demands of specialty buyers. They are beginning to promote the various Colombian growing regions and the flavor profiles they offer. The character of our Monserrate is very much a testament to this progressive spirit.

The Monserrate community near the La Plata region in the Huila department of Colombia sits majestically along the ridge of a lush and remote valley. There are approximately 28 families that contribute to this single origin blend. Our importing partner, Craig Holt, describes this closely knit group,

"When I showed up there in November of 2005, I was the first 'Gringo' that had ever been there. I was struck by the tone of this community compared to the dozen or so others I’d visited in the region. Their coffee was exceptionally good, and they were the only group to ask me what they could do to improve [the coffee]."

Each family has its own wet-processing set up, (also known as a micro-mill) and the The botanical varieties that contribute to this coffee are predominately Caturra and Typica. Coffee is dried on raised beds in the African style, which allows the coffee to dry efficiently, but not too quickly. Sweetness and body is enhanced by this painstaking practice.

We roast this to a Full City. It is important to coax the caramel and sweet acidity to the forefront with the roast profile.

Cupping Notes:

A rich body leads to earthy flavors and a pithy citrus acidity.

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