Tasting notes: mellow and sweet, with milk chocolate, cherry, and walnut aftertaste.
I first went to Colombia in 2011 to cup coffees for the annual Monserrate micro-lot competition. Each year producers from the group would submit coffees in the fall to compete for that harvest's best coffee. The winners would gain premiums. The concept was a way to incentivize quality within this group which had converted from coca farming in the early 2000's to coffee production.
Today the 150 or so families in Monserrate have a strong following for their coffees, and we try to grab some every chance we get, along with working with a few small producers within the group. Their classic Colombia profile is a treasure, but even more-so are the memories of listening to Don Gabriel (the group leader) talk, eating empanadas in the town square, or playing soccer against the local youth team.... and losing.
