Colombia Carmen Montoya | Washed Chiroso

This coffee is very special for a number of reasons, but perhaps most notably - the varietal. The Chiroso varietal is a Caturra mutation that shares some genetic relation to Ethiopian Landraces, and since its discovery has been rising in popularity for competition coffees. This producer in fact won the cup of excellence in 2014 with her Chiroso lot! 

Carmen Montoya, a coffee farmer for 23 years, inherited her love for coffee and farming from her parents. Starting with a small plot of this then unknown coffee variety, she won the Cup of Excellence in 2014 with it, and locally named it "chiroso." Carmen is a pioneer in cultivating this coffee in her region and has become a community leader. She now helps fellow farmers improve their processes, aiming to establish global recognition for Urrao's chiroso coffee due to its quality and the human talent involved.

This coffee is very reminiscent of a washed Ethiopia, and maybe even a Gesha coffee, with the very refined tea-like qualities but these beautiful drops of sweet, juicy fruit that elegantly intertwine with its florality to create a sparkling cup with truly dazzling clarity. Look for loads of berries like blueberries, maybe some blackberries, pops of bright, juicy cherry, with loads of florals like bergamot. It’s delicate, but nicely rounded with an almost silky mouthfeel.