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Floral and complex. Tasting like rose, raspberry and jasmine. Lingering peach notes. 

Origin: Colombia
Region: San Agustin, Huila
Producer: Various producers from the Monkaaba group: Orlando Quinayas, Diana
Quinayas, Jose Omar Muñoz, Rovira
Salamanca, Stiven Hoyos
Elevation: 1600 - 1989 masl
Variety: Geisha
Process: Washed 

(Processing varies between producers, and each producer delivers their parchment to the Monkaaba bodega, where it is then tasted, analyzed, and chosen for this lot)

Roasted for: Filter

This lot immediately stood out when we first cupped it, and we knew it had to join our lineup.

Cupped blind, its profile was unmistakably Geisha - though we were surprised to learn it was a community lot. Once we knew, everything clicked as the complexity in the cup reflects this.

We source this lot through our partners at Semilla and Monkaaba, and as always the way they work simply makes sense, serving a true purpose while also ensuring incredibly high quality. 

This lot represents the fourth iteration of Los Magnificos, designed to ensure that small lots of higher-quality coffee are still able to be purchased despite their size. The vast majority of the producers involved in this blend manage very small plots, and as a result, are often delivering tiny amounts of coffee.

In the instance that they have more land, this allows Semilla to take small amounts that might come from a single pass and avoid waiting for a lot of size to be delivered from a single producer, in which time the quality might suffer. 

For example, Diana Quinayas has now contributed only 32kg of parchment to this specific lot (considering a 90 yield factor less than 40% equivalent to a full exportable 70kg bag). This type of quantity would be difficult to mill and export on its own (or at the very least, highly costly and time consuming) but the quality of his coffee and others involved was high enough that to reject it on the basis of size would lead them to sell it to another larger buyer where it would receive likely a lower price and also would then be anonymously blended into massive regional lots that move with little traceability and leave the smallholder wondering where their coffee went and how to build off the sale.

It’s a sad reality still of the global coffee system - and especially in a massive producing state like Huila - that the logistics and management around small lots are too costly or time-consuming to make economic sense for buyers. As a result, it’s not only that the quality must be high, it’s that a smallholder must have the requisite quantity as well to earn the higher prices they deserve.

Los Magnificos seeks to serve the purpose of opening opportunities and giving smallholders a steady ground to build from as they make the challenging steps of improving their post-harvest processing practices.  Even in small amounts, the revenue earned makes a difference, but more importantly, it opens a place for community, dialogue, and learning that is normally not offered to such smallholders. The result is often a holding pattern where buyers can benefit, and smallholders are motivated or incentivized to improve and grow.

Sparkling and complex. Tasting like jasmine, lemongrass, sweet citrus and rosé wine. A beautifully expressive Geisha.

Origin: Colombia
Region: Huila
Producer: Las Marías Estate
Elevation: 1800 - 2050 masl
Variety: Geisha
Process: Washed 

• Selective Harvesting: Cherries are picked at their ripest stage, ensuring a 20 Brix grade sugar level for optimal sweetness.
• First Fermentation: Whole cherries are placed in a closed tank for 12 hours, allowing initial fermentation to develop nuanced flavors.
• Pulping & Second Fermentation: The cherries are pulped without water and transferred to an open tank, where they ferment without water for 24 hours.
• First Wash & Third Fermentation: After washing and draining, the coffee undergoes another 24-hour open-air fermentation.
• Final Wash & Drying: Once the second fermentation is complete, the coffee is washed again and carefully dried in raised African beds for approximately 25 days, ensuring a controlled temperature below 35°C to achieve a 10-11% moisture content.

José Giraldo is a third-generation coffee producer who has spent the past decade transforming his family’s commercial coffee heritage into a benchmark of ultra-specialty coffee excellence. Together with his wife, María Rivera, he leads Las Marías Estate, a farm dedicated to the integration of science, advanced genetics, and sustainability to produce exceptional microlots recognized on a global stage.

Located in Colombia, the 23-hectare Las Marías Estate is home to a carefully curated collection of rare and exotic coffee varieties. The farm cultivates 9,000 Typica trees over 70 years old, second- and third-generation Geisha trees developed through rigorous genetic selection, as well as Orange Striped Wush Wush and micro Mokka varieties—each chosen for its unique sensory potential and cup complexity. Over ten years of research at the family’s El Danubio Estate, José Giraldo evaluated 46 Geisha progenies, refining them through multiple generations to establish competition-grade genetics that set new standards in quality.

Las Marías Estate blends tradition with scientific innovation. The farm benefits from the expertise of Germán Giraldo, PhD in Food Science, whose work in osmotic drying and fermentation science has helped refine advanced post-harvest processes. These techniques, combined with the estate’s preserved natural microbiota and surrounding native forest, enhance the depth, clarity, and complexity of each coffee produced.

The estate’s coffees have gained international recognition, reaching more than 50 specialty buyers across 25 countries. Las Marías microlots are frequently selected by barista champions and professionals for competition use, reflecting the farm’s consistency, precision, and dedication to excellence.

Sustainability and biodiversity are central to the estate’s philosophy. With seven hectares of preserved native forest and a habitat supporting over 30 bird species, Las Marías Estate prioritizes environmental stewardship as an essential component of producing world-class coffees. This commitment ensures that every coffee reflects not only exceptional craftsmanship, but also respect for the land and its ecosystems.

Silky and smooth. Tasting like apricot, milk chocolate and with light florals.

Origin: Guatemala
Region: Santa Rosa
Producer: Ismael Quinteros

Elevation: 1760 masl
Variety: Pache
Process: Washed

Roasted for: Filter

Ismael Quinteros Orantes is a 49-year-old coffee producer with a deep and enduring connection to his craft. He is married and the proud father of five children - two sons and three daughters. Coffee farming is not just his livelihood, but a family legacy that spans generations.

Ismael’s journey in coffee began at home. His family entered coffee production nearly 60 years ago, starting with his grandfather, making Ismael the third generation to carry on this tradition.

In the early years, his grandfather experimented with both sugarcane and coffee, eventually discovering that coffee offered greater profitability. This realization laid the foundation for the family’s long-term commitment to coffee cultivation.

From a young age, Ismael was immersed in the world of coffee. He grew up watching his father care for the coffee plants and remembers the moment his father first taught him the skills and knowledge required to cultivate coffee. These early experiences shaped his passion for the profession and continue to inspire his work today.

Despite his dedication, Ismael faces significant challenges as a coffee farmer. Labor shortages during harvest season, the ongoing threat of coffee rust, and severe droughts driven by climate change all present serious obstacles. Nevertheless, he has achieved important milestones, including successfully exporting his coffee and increasing its profitability.

Looking ahead, Ismael hopes to continue growing as a coffee producer by improving processing methods and enhancing the quality of his coffee. Beyond business success, he dreams of one day meeting the roasters and consumers who enjoy his coffee abroad, so he can share his story and the passion, effort, and dedication behind every cup.

Juicy and bright with zesty acidity. Orange blossom and guava. Silky body reminiscent of red apple sweetness.

Origin: Honduras
Region: Selguapa
Producer: Clementino Ramirez

Elevation: 1700 masl
Variety: Typica / Bourbon 
Process: 96 hours fermentation - Washed

Roasted for: Filter

Our first time sourcing coffee from Clementino Ramírez, who was one of the first producers that our long-time partner, Semilla, connected with at the very beginning of their work in Honduras in 2019. 

Along with his brothers, Clementino was among the first, if not the very first, growers to begin cultivating coffee in the small hamlet of Selguapa, located high in the Montecillos mountain range. While the family’s history in coffee production dates back to the 1980s, it was only in 2019, when Semilla met Clementino and his family, that they began taking steps toward accessing a differentiated specialty market.

This connection to the external specialty market came through Jesús Galeas, Clementino’s son-in-law. At the time, Jesús was working with a company focused on identifying high-potential coffees in often overlooked regions of Honduras. Drawing on his experience as an IHCAFE field technician, Jesús traveled to remote communities to provide training in farm maintenance, selective cherry harvesting, fermentation, and drying practices. One of his first stops was Selguapa, where his sister was assisting her husband, Clementino’s son Milton, on the family farm.

Situated at 1,700 meters above sea level and planted primarily with heirloom varieties such as Bourbon and Typica, the farm showed clear potential. Jesús was confident that, with careful processing, these coffees could reach a much higher quality level, and that assessment proved correct.

Traditionally, coffee in Selguapa and much of the Montecillos region has been sold through an intermediary-based system. Producers typically sell their coffee as cherry or pre-secado, meaning it is depulped and partially dried for just three to four days before being sold. Prices within this system are extremely low, leaving producers in a persistent state of economic precarity. Even in relatively strong years such as 2024, farmers in the region reported farmgate prices of around USD $0.85 per pound for parchment coffee, not including transportation costs. In some cases, producers never receive payment at all.

These conditions placed immense strain on Clementino and his family. Shortly after Semilla first met him, Clementino and his son migrated to the United States out of necessity, seeking to repay debts accumulated after years of selling coffee at bottom-market prices. Even in the years when part of their production was sold at differentiated prices, only the top lots were selected, with the remainder sold into the conventional market.

Clementino’s journey north involved significant hardship, including kidnapping and extortion. He eventually arrived in Seattle, where he worked for nearly five years, holding multiple jobs and sending the majority of his earnings back to Honduras. Well into his sixties, his efforts allowed the family to repay their debts and purchase an additional plot of land, which was planted with coffee the following year.

Although Semilla has worked with Clementino and Jesús since 2019, it was only in the past two harvests that Semilla was able to purchase the extended family’s entire coffee production.

Clementino returned to Honduras in early 2024 to work alongside his family throughout the harvest, helping address severe labor shortages that continue to affect remote, high-altitude regions of the country. Beyond his role on the farm, Clementino has become a respected figure in neighboring communities such as Toriles, Buena Vista, and Cantolal. Through his standing and relationships, he has helped introduce Semilla to other smallholders in the area.

With Clementino’s support, Semilla’s project Sueños de Semilla has grown to include approximately 25 local smallholders, many of whom are exporting their coffee for the first time.

Floral and syrupy, tasting like chamomile, sweet lime and macadamia. Lingering ripe pear in the aftertaste.

Origin: Honduras
Region: Delicias, El Paraíso
Producer: Los Cedro
Elevation: 1350-1500 masl
Variety: Parainema
Process: Anaerobic Washed

Roasted for: Filter, also delicious as a light roasted espresso

We are excited to present you Danilo Sanchez's new harvest, a sweet and syrupy coffee sourced through Semilla that supports producers in the area. 

Danilo Sánchez began growing coffee 15 years ago, when he was a young man who helped his father on the coffee plots his family-owned. Learning the craft from him until in 2009 his father passed down a plot of land to him. Danilo planted his first coffee plants, and with his initial earnings, he reinvested to expand his crops, to the five hectares he has now.

Danilo is the third generation of coffee growers in his family. For them, coffee growing is a tradition handed down generation to generation. He grows coffee not only out of tradition but also out of genuine passion and love for coffee. Each year, Danilo's family strives to produce high-quality coffee for others to enjoy. However, labour shortages present a significant challege; each season, they face uncertainty over whether they will have enough workers to harvest their crops. Climate change also adds to the difficulties, affecting their yields and cultivation practices.

Danilo also extends his gratitude to those who buy their coffee, recognizing how crucial their support is for his family’s livelihood. Coffee cultivation has provided them with what he and his family need, but Danilo’s long-term goal is to keep his plots in excellent, productive condition.

Cherries are harvested at peak ripeness and then go through a 50-hour anaerobic fermentation in sealed plastic bags. After being de-pulped, coffee experiences a 38-hour dry fermentation. Afterwards, it is dried for 20 to 25 days under sunlight with a plastic cover to regulate the temperature.