Origin: La Muralla, San Agustin, Huila

Producer: Esnaider Ortega and Augusto Ortega

Farm: La Esperanza

Process: Washed

Varieties: SL-28

Elevation: 1750masl

Importer: Semilla & Monkaaba

Roast: Light

Notes: Blackberry, Grape Jelly, Lemonade, Caramel

Transparency: 

• We paid Semilla $8.48 USD per pound of exportable green coffee + shipping & storage fees
• Farmgate price was $4,700,000 COP per Carga of parchment (national average was $2,900,000 COP at the time)
• FOB price was $5.98/lb.

Through the amazing efforts of Esnaider, Augusto, and other key members of the Monkaaba family, we bring to you SL28 fully grown in Colombia! This is an amazing feat, bringing Kenya's famous varietal right into the heart of Huila.

It used to be that majority of coffee from Kenya was SL28, but with changes in climate, and diseases, they've had to mix in other varietals to keep harvest, quality, and consistency strong. This over the years (to me) has changed the profile of coffees from Kenya, since you don't see the same big 100% SL28 lots anymore.

That's part of what makes this coffee so exciting to me. I think what the micro-terroirs of San Agustin, specifically the Ortega's properties, is PERFECT for SL28. Coffees from Huila always boast big acidity just like Kenya's coffees, and with Esnaider and Augusto's expertise in processing, they really tease out the classic purple forward flavours of this SL28.

Cherries are picked every 21 days when the reach peak ripeness. They are floated and
hand selected to remove all immature cherries, and then are placed on raised beds to
drain the excess water. Around 14 hours later, the coffee is depulped the next morning and dry ferments for an average of 36 hours in oak tanks. It’s rinsed four times and then left to drain in plastic bags for another 10 hours. After that, the coffee is dried for 20 days in shade.

Brewing Recommendations:

Pour-over: 1:16-17 ratio, bright and fruity, brew more concentrated for a juice bomb, or less for more florals.

Espresso: 18g-18.5g in / 37g-39g out / 27-30 seconds.

Esnaider Ortega Gomez & Family. 

Who is Esnaider?

Esnaider is fourth generational, young, a passionate producer, and leader of Monkaaba. We had the privilege to meet and spend time with him and his family during our time in San Agustin. Esnaider took excellent care of us, driving us from farm to farm, making sure we were well fed and full of Guarapo (sugarcane juice).

It's hard to really put into words how inspiring watching Esnaider work is... The passion he has for growing and producing coffee is one thing, but his passion for his work through Monkaaba is truly inspirational. He spends more time in the Monkaaba lab and at other producers farms than he does his own; all with the goal to lift up and educate everyone around him.

From Esnaider directly -

“These last couple of years have seen a very unique change in my life. After producing
coffee with my family for many years, I decided to focus my efforts not only in producing and marketing our coffees but I wanted to go further with a group of friends. My friend Brendan Adams of Semilla coffee gave us the opportunity to be able to learn, work, and grow together in this great dream, looking for a real impact in the coffee supply chain.

It was a big change in my life, with moments of despair and discomfort, because many
times we felt we were trying to make a change in a system where trust had been lost.
This system, in which I have felt for a long time and where I am more than sure now,
where we as small producers have been like instruments for companies — big or small
— where they are only trying to protect their own interests while we’re left to carry a
very high percentage of the risks."

Who is Augusto? (from Semilla directly)

Augusto, a coffee grower with a legacy in the industry, founded Finca Asturias in 1985, becoming one of the first in his region to cultivate coffee despite early challenges like arid soils and landslides. Over the years, he faced increasing difficulties due to rising temperatures and the need for more chemical treatments, which impacted coffee quality. Initially selling coffee en verde, he shifted to specialty coffee production in 2000 by joining the Los Naranjos Association and connecting with Cafe Imports. Recently, he left Cafe Imports seeking better, more reliable partnerships.

Augusto has continued to be a leader but amongst his peers and family members with Monkaaba. It’s in small part due to the trust he has in us that we’ve been able to succeed in San Agustin, as he was quickly taken to encouraging all the producers involved to work closely with us. Without his support, it’s hard to know where we would be as he’s brought many producers into the fold due to the respect he garners locally.

from Augusto directly -

“I hope to continue forward tackling the challenges posed to coffee growers by planting new varieties and to be in union with other coffee growers so we can improve ourselves through our own good advice and counsel."

further thoughts

"This game is rigged, man" Bodie Broadus, The Wire, Season 4, Episode 13.

The work Esnaider does through Monkaaba is so important. Battling the oppressive systems that are at play in the coffee industry is no easy task, and you can tell from Esnaider's words the difficulties he has faced in doing so. The System is not designed for producers to succeed, and to push back against that is truly admirable. 

Our trip to Colombia really showed us, as coffee roasters, the importance of playing our part to uplift those producers that are at odds with the industry's status quo. Committing to working with partners such as Monkaaba and Semilla becomes even more important to us when we see the impact that this has on the lives of so many producers. And we couldn't be more honoured to represent their coffee!