A Colombian washed coffee with notes of caramel, sugarcane, chamomile, citric acid, and tangerine, roasted fresh in Ontario, Canada.
Montebonito, a high-altitude community in the Andes, where tradition meets the promise of specialty coffee.
Grown at elevations of 1,850–2,100 meters in the municipality of Marulanda, Caldas, this coffee is the Castillo Naranjal variety. Nestled just an hour from Manzanares, Montebonito's steep slopes and misty peaks create a unique microclimate—cold nights and warm days that allow the coffee to develop a clean, vibrant, and layered profile. Farms here are small, typically 1 to 3 hectares, worked almost entirely by the families themselves, with cherries handpicked and carefully processed on parabolic beds or rooftops.
Montebonito is an extension of the Reforest project, which has already taken root in Manzanares. In recent years, the region has embraced renewal programs introducing greater education in specialty coffee production. This lot stands as one of the first examples for the community—demonstrating that innovation can open new opportunities and bring meaningful change to the region.
The journey of this coffee begins with the careful selection of Castillo Naranjal cherries at peak ripeness. The cherries undergo aerobic fermentation for 12–14 hours in open concrete tanks, then are depulped and thoroughly washed to remove remaining mucilage—a process that highlights the clean and vibrant character of this lot. The beans are then transferred to sun canopies for 5 days of drying, followed by a 30-day stabilization in GrainPro bags, allowing the flavors to fully harmonize and mature before export.
At Poets & Prose, we are proud to source coffees that reflect both craftsmanship and community. With Montebonito, you experience a cup that is bright, expressive, and rooted in a story of tradition, renewal, and possibility.
Roast: Light-Medium
Origin: Colombia – Montebonito, Marulanda, Caldas
Elevation: 1,850–2,100 masl
Process: Washed
Cupping Notes: Caramel, sugarcane, chamomile, citric acid, tangerine
Variety: Castillo Naranjal
