Rodrigo Sanchez Valencia, Cold Fermentation Gesha
Region: Huila
Altitude: 1730 masl
Process: Cold Fermented Washed
Varietal: Gesha
We taste: Cantelope, White Grape, Wildflower Honey
Finca Monteblanco
Finca Monteblanco, located high along the winding mountain roads of Vereda La Tocora in the San Adolfo municipality above Pitalito, is a family farm managed by Rodrigo Sanchez Valencia in the tradition of coffee cultivation that began with his grandfather. Monteblanco’s 18 hectares sit on the crest of a hill, with the wet mill and drying facilities at the top of the farm and slopes of coffee planted below.
In 2002 Rodrigo participated in a local program teaching local children of coffee producers to cup. Before that, he and his family had never considered coffee in terms of cup profile. By learning to differentiate profiles, he and his father and grandfather were able to make the connections between the farming techniques they applied and coffee’s resulting attributes in the cup.
At this time, Rodrigo also began to learn about cupping competitions that evaluate the best lots from farms in a region. He noticed that farms would win one year and then never again, so he decided to investigate how to produce quality coffee consistently. This led him to explore the trees planted on Monteblanco, where he discovered various varieties his grandfather had planted in the 1980’s. One of these varieties is Purple Caturra, a type of Caturra whose cherries ripen to a deep purple color.
Rodrigo is proud that he, his wife Claudia Samboni, farm manager Don Gerardo, and the team that works in the fields and at the mill have reached the goal of achieving consistent quality. Finca Monteblanco produces microlots with each harvest that serve as competition coffees around the world, but the farm also consistently produces containers of delicious coffees that appear year-round on café menus and retail shelves. By applying an ethic of rigorous monitoring, planning, and management at each stage of production and processing, all coffees from Monteblanco showcase their full potential.
Cold Fermentation
In 2015, Rodrigo and his team piloted a new processing technique called Cold Fermentation, which consists in depulping freshly harvested ripe cherries and transferring them to a cold room to prolong fermentation. Rodrigo found that the extended fermentation period resulted in more complex flavors. This method presented initial challenges until they determined the ideal temperature. After two years of study, they found the best balance between initial degrees Brix of harvested cherries and fermentation temperature, achieving the desired baseline consistency and complexity of flavor in the cup.
In the Cup
This coffee is one of our favorites we have ever had the privilege to roast. When hot, the aromatics are tropical with hints of mandarin, cantelope, and mango. When we first sip it, we get a unique bright sweetness reminiscent of green apple jolly ranchers. The mouthfeel is delicate and tea-like, with a soft floral finish. As it cools, the malic white grape acidity becomes more present and the sweetness of wildflower honey (complete with the finish!) becomes the star of the show. Overall, this a complex and dynamic cup - sure to wow any specialty coffee lover.
Region: Huila
Altitude: 1730 masl
Process: Cold Fermented Washed
Varietal: Gesha
We taste: Cantelope, White Grape, Wildflower Honey
Finca Monteblanco
Finca Monteblanco, located high along the winding mountain roads of Vereda La Tocora in the San Adolfo municipality above Pitalito, is a family farm managed by Rodrigo Sanchez Valencia in the tradition of coffee cultivation that began with his grandfather. Monteblanco’s 18 hectares sit on the crest of a hill, with the wet mill and drying facilities at the top of the farm and slopes of coffee planted below.
In 2002 Rodrigo participated in a local program teaching local children of coffee producers to cup. Before that, he and his family had never considered coffee in terms of cup profile. By learning to differentiate profiles, he and his father and grandfather were able to make the connections between the farming techniques they applied and coffee’s resulting attributes in the cup.
At this time, Rodrigo also began to learn about cupping competitions that evaluate the best lots from farms in a region. He noticed that farms would win one year and then never again, so he decided to investigate how to produce quality coffee consistently. This led him to explore the trees planted on Monteblanco, where he discovered various varieties his grandfather had planted in the 1980’s. One of these varieties is Purple Caturra, a type of Caturra whose cherries ripen to a deep purple color.
Rodrigo is proud that he, his wife Claudia Samboni, farm manager Don Gerardo, and the team that works in the fields and at the mill have reached the goal of achieving consistent quality. Finca Monteblanco produces microlots with each harvest that serve as competition coffees around the world, but the farm also consistently produces containers of delicious coffees that appear year-round on café menus and retail shelves. By applying an ethic of rigorous monitoring, planning, and management at each stage of production and processing, all coffees from Monteblanco showcase their full potential.
Cold Fermentation
In 2015, Rodrigo and his team piloted a new processing technique called Cold Fermentation, which consists in depulping freshly harvested ripe cherries and transferring them to a cold room to prolong fermentation. Rodrigo found that the extended fermentation period resulted in more complex flavors. This method presented initial challenges until they determined the ideal temperature. After two years of study, they found the best balance between initial degrees Brix of harvested cherries and fermentation temperature, achieving the desired baseline consistency and complexity of flavor in the cup.
In the Cup
This coffee is one of our favorites we have ever had the privilege to roast. When hot, the aromatics are tropical with hints of mandarin, cantelope, and mango. When we first sip it, we get a unique bright sweetness reminiscent of green apple jolly ranchers. The mouthfeel is delicate and tea-like, with a soft floral finish. As it cools, the malic white grape acidity becomes more present and the sweetness of wildflower honey (complete with the finish!) becomes the star of the show. Overall, this a complex and dynamic cup - sure to wow any specialty coffee lover.
Region: Huila
Altitude: 1730 masl
Process: Cold Fermented Washed
Varietal: Gesha
We taste: Cantelope, White Grape, Wildflower Honey
Finca Monteblanco
Finca Monteblanco, located high along the winding mountain roads of Vereda La Tocora in the San Adolfo municipality above Pitalito, is a family farm managed by Rodrigo Sanchez Valencia in the tradition of coffee cultivation that began with his grandfather. Monteblanco’s 18 hectares sit on the crest of a hill, with the wet mill and drying facilities at the top of the farm and slopes of coffee planted below.
In 2002 Rodrigo participated in a local program teaching local children of coffee producers to cup. Before that, he and his family had never considered coffee in terms of cup profile. By learning to differentiate profiles, he and his father and grandfather were able to make the connections between the farming techniques they applied and coffee’s resulting attributes in the cup.
At this time, Rodrigo also began to learn about cupping competitions that evaluate the best lots from farms in a region. He noticed that farms would win one year and then never again, so he decided to investigate how to produce quality coffee consistently. This led him to explore the trees planted on Monteblanco, where he discovered various varieties his grandfather had planted in the 1980’s. One of these varieties is Purple Caturra, a type of Caturra whose cherries ripen to a deep purple color.
Rodrigo is proud that he, his wife Claudia Samboni, farm manager Don Gerardo, and the team that works in the fields and at the mill have reached the goal of achieving consistent quality. Finca Monteblanco produces microlots with each harvest that serve as competition coffees around the world, but the farm also consistently produces containers of delicious coffees that appear year-round on café menus and retail shelves. By applying an ethic of rigorous monitoring, planning, and management at each stage of production and processing, all coffees from Monteblanco showcase their full potential.
Cold Fermentation
In 2015, Rodrigo and his team piloted a new processing technique called Cold Fermentation, which consists in depulping freshly harvested ripe cherries and transferring them to a cold room to prolong fermentation. Rodrigo found that the extended fermentation period resulted in more complex flavors. This method presented initial challenges until they determined the ideal temperature. After two years of study, they found the best balance between initial degrees Brix of harvested cherries and fermentation temperature, achieving the desired baseline consistency and complexity of flavor in the cup.
In the Cup
This coffee is one of our favorites we have ever had the privilege to roast. When hot, the aromatics are tropical with hints of mandarin, cantelope, and mango. When we first sip it, we get a unique bright sweetness reminiscent of green apple jolly ranchers. The mouthfeel is delicate and tea-like, with a soft floral finish. As it cools, the malic white grape acidity becomes more present and the sweetness of wildflower honey (complete with the finish!) becomes the star of the show. Overall, this a complex and dynamic cup - sure to wow any specialty coffee lover.