Carmen Montoya has been farming coffee for 23 years, inheriting her love for it from her parents. What began with a small plot of an unknown variety turned into something remarkable when her coffee, which she named "Chiroso" after its distinctive slender bean shape, won the Cup of Excellence in 2014.
Today, Carmen is a pioneer of Chiroso cultivation in Urrao, Antioquia, and a recognized community leader. She mentors fellow farmers, helping them refine their processes to build global recognition for Urrao's Chiroso. Her farms, Los Pinos and Bella Vista, sit at 1,900 to 2,000 meters above sea level, where cool mountain air and slow cherry development concentrate sugars and acidity.
Every day, Doña Carmen oversees each stage of processing herself, from cherry selection through drying, to protect the traceability and consistency of her coffee. That hands-on care is what you taste in the cup.
The same seeds Carmen held in her hands are the ones now in my shop, waiting to be roasted. That is not lost on me. I try to roast this coffee with the respect it deserves and out of respect for its producer and her family.
Washed Process: Carmen hand-selects and floats ripe cherries, then ferments them whole in baskets for 12 hours before depulping. The depulped beans undergo an additional 72-hour fermentation in open tanks, are washed, and sun-dried on raised beds for 8 days. Washed processing with this extended fermentation produces a clean, transparent cup with heightened aromatics and bright, articulate acidity.
Cupping notes: Mandarin lifts first, bright and zesty, followed by a soft floral perfume and a clean caramel sweetness that rounds out a silky body. Good acidity, long finish, unmistakably Chiroso.
Resting: Best 14+ days after roast, with many improving for weeks beyond that.
Best brewed as: All brew methods except espresso.
WHOLE BEAN
Country: Colombia
Region: Urrao, Antioquia
Producer: Carmen Montoya
Varietal: Chiroso
Process: Washed
Roast Level: Light
Elevation: 1,900–2,000 masl
Tasting Notes: Mandarin, Floral, Caramel
Good For: All brew methods except espresso
Body: Silky
(Coffee is roasted on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month. Orders placed by 5:00 PM EST on the preceding Tuesday are included in that week's roast and ship Friday. Orders placed after the cutoff will be roasted in the next cycle.)
Carmen Montoya has been farming coffee for 23 years, inheriting her love for it from her parents. What began with a small plot of an unknown variety turned into something remarkable when her coffee, which she named "Chiroso" after its distinctive slender bean shape, won the Cup of Excellence in 2014.
Today, Carmen is a pioneer of Chiroso cultivation in Urrao, Antioquia, and a recognized community leader. She mentors fellow farmers, helping them refine their processes to build global recognition for Urrao's Chiroso. Her farms, Los Pinos and Bella Vista, sit at 1,900 to 2,000 meters above sea level, where cool mountain air and slow cherry development concentrate sugars and acidity.
Every day, Doña Carmen oversees each stage of processing herself, from cherry selection through drying, to protect the traceability and consistency of her coffee. That hands-on care is what you taste in the cup.
The same seeds Carmen held in her hands are the ones now in my shop, waiting to be roasted. That is not lost on me. I try to roast this coffee with the respect it deserves and out of respect for its producer and her family.
Washed Process: Carmen hand-selects and floats ripe cherries, then ferments them whole in baskets for 12 hours before depulping. The depulped beans undergo an additional 72-hour fermentation in open tanks, are washed, and sun-dried on raised beds for 8 days. Washed processing with this extended fermentation produces a clean, transparent cup with heightened aromatics and bright, articulate acidity.
Cupping notes: Mandarin lifts first, bright and zesty, followed by a soft floral perfume and a clean caramel sweetness that rounds out a silky body. Good acidity, long finish, unmistakably Chiroso.
Resting: Best 14+ days after roast, with many improving for weeks beyond that.
Best brewed as: All brew methods except espresso.
WHOLE BEAN
Country: Colombia
Region: Urrao, Antioquia
Producer: Carmen Montoya
Varietal: Chiroso
Process: Washed
Roast Level: Light
Elevation: 1,900–2,000 masl
Tasting Notes: Mandarin, Floral, Caramel
Good For: All brew methods except espresso
Body: Silky
(Coffee is roasted on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month. Orders placed by 5:00 PM EST on the preceding Tuesday are included in that week's roast and ship Friday. Orders placed after the cutoff will be roasted in the next cycle.)
