Scott’s Spotlight Collection 1 : The Full MONTEblanco
While the phrase '“the full monty” conjures images of a critically acclaimed British comedy from the 90’s, it is actually a saying that hails from Lancashire. It’s loosely defined as everything which is necessary, appropriate, or possible. This definition left me no choice but to use this terrible pun as my introduction to my spotlight collection. I plan to do everything which is necessary, appropriate, or possible to seek out coffees worth being put in the spotlight.
As coffee professionals, and especially those of us riding the third wave full tilt, you will find in us an endless curiosity. A personal journey with no specific destination and no end in sight. We constantly crave the newest crop, the unheard of varietal, the new experimental processing technique. We love coffee of all shapes, sizes, and roast colors. We want to cup coffees until we’re cross eyed and listen to 2 hour long podcasts about the science behind the 800+ aromatic compounds found in the beans. These reasons, and hundreds more, are why I came up with this concept.
I am thrilled to use my position to pass along my passion and research to those who may themselves enjoy it. It is nothing new or novel I think I came up with, just a fun side project to get some cool coffee into the hands of those who would want it! So without further ado, I present to you the first member of Scott’s Spotlight Collection, Colombia Monteblanco Pink Bourbon! It is a light-medium roast with high acidity, a full body, and above average sweetness. Notes of pink grapefruit, green apple, papaya, and guava will dazzle your palate as you enjoy every last drop. In an interview with the owner of Finca Monteblanco, he says that the varietal is named Pink Bourbon for commercial reasons, but that he is convinced it is a Gesha by it’s presence in the cup. And after tasting it, we would have to agree with him. Below I will be adding the excerpt on Rodrigo Sanchez and what makes the work he is doing at Finca Monteblanco so special. I hope you enjoy this coffee as much as I have and I look forward to bringing you the next installment!
- Scott
From ALLY Coffee :
Finca Monteblanco, 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 and dry mill at the top and slopes of coffee planted below.
In 2002, Rodrigo participated in a local program teaching 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 able to make the connections between the farming techniques they applied and coffee’s 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, were he discovered various varieties his grandfather had planted in the 1980’s.
In addition to the varieties most common in Colombia, Rodrigo found there were trees he had not noticed before, trees with different characteristics, including broad leaves that looked like Gesha. In the cup, the coffee he harvested also tasted like those of Gesha. This was the beginning of Pink Bourbon lot separation. Rodrigo learned that his grandfather had bought those seedlings in San Adolfo in the early 80’s during a leaf rust attack of la roya when he had to replace a portion of the farm’s trees.
In San Adolfo and Palestina, the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation ran an experimental farm in the 50’s and 60’s planted with 500 varieties, so Rodrigo and his grandfather think the trees probably originated from that farm. In 2014, Rodrigo planted three hectares of Monteblanco with Pink Bourbon and was delighted with its adaptability, productivity, and resistance to leaf rust. The cherries ripen to a rosy pink/orange color, giving name to this unique coffee variety.
All cherries harvested are measured for degrees Brix. Based on sugar content indicated, the team at Aromas del Sur--the umbrella group of Monteblanco, Progreso, and La Loma farms--then designates which processing method is appropriate. Coffees with 24-27 degrees Brix are processed as washed coffees, beginning with depulping cherries they day they are harvested.
Coffee is fermented between 28 and 32 hours, fully washed with clean water, transferred to the solar dryer for several days, and finally moved to shaded raised beds to complete the drying process. Floaters are removed at the first stage prior to depulping to produce clean, consistent coffees that represent the terroir of the farm.
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. Each harvest, Finca Monteblanco produces microlots 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 of each stage of production and processing, all coffees from Monteblanco showcase their full potential.
Harvesting and processing on Monteblanco have had to evolve with the times, adapting to a changing climate that yields harvest dispersed through ten months of the year rather than in a concentrated peak.
