Overview
We’re thrilled to share both our first lot sourced from Wilmer Galindez and our first time roasting the Tabi variety. We’re fully in awe of Wilmer’s drive and vision, as he (in his early 20s!) single handedly revitalized his family’s farm and invested in another 3 hectare plot that’s Now it’s full speed ahead for Wilmer, and he’s investing money and energy towards growing his production and improving processes.planted with multiple prized varieties. Even though he grew up working as a coffee grower and picker, it wasn’t until he connected with Esnaider and Didier, via joining the Monkaaba collective, that Wilmer was able to access higher prices via the specialty market.
Our close importing partners, Semilla Coffee, share: We always know that coffee production is something incredibly physically demanding, but standing in the middle of his farm on the edge of a steep mountain canyon and listening to Wilmer as he told us his story was incredibly moving. Despite all his challenges, even one of which would make most of us quit, he continues without any resentment or anger towards his situation. As further evidence of his vision and motivation, in the months between receiving his payment for this coffee and our visiting him in November 2021, he had already built his own beneficio (as he was using his family’s beneficio) and paid to install electricity on his farm so that he could work at night. In 2024, Wilmer continued to invest and grow. He has been able to purchase back the family farm and connect it to his current farm, and has continued to invest in equipment and housing on the farm. His family has returned to the farm and now lives together with him.
The Tabi hybrid variety is starting to be commonly found throughout high altitude areas of Colombia - and for good reason. The flavor quality is exceptional, blending the high acid and deep sweetness found in OG Typica and Bourbon varieties, and there’s an added layer of disease resistance thanks to Timor hybrid genetics. We’ve had the chance to sample a handful of coffees from Wilmer the past few seasons and have always been incredibly impressed. His passion and attention to detail (and variety selection!) no doubt all shine through in the final cup. We’re tasting: blackberry, cherry, red grape, tomato jam, orange zest, brown sugar, milk chocolate, sweet black tea.
Relationship
In early 2020 we were introduced to the young and extremely passionate coffee producer, Esnaider Ortega Gomez, via our friend Brendan Adams of Semilla Coffee. After being thoroughly impressed by some early harvest samples and forming a friendship through ongoing talks with Esnaider over the span of a few months, we decided to dive head first into fully supporting his project. Currently all of our Colombia offerings are sourced through this supply stream.
Ensaider’s vision has grown to establish a group of growers in the San Augustin area, collectively known as Monkaaba. In addition to securing specialty market access through Semilla, Esnaider’s major goal is to invest in ongoing education that will grow the group’s knowledge and skills to ensure future success. Esnaider holds regular gatherings to cup and brew each other's coffee, which has led to a much more holistic understanding and confidence in the quality of their coffee.
Semilla Coffee shares about Monkaaba: The idea for this came to Esnaider thanks to his experience over the last ten years working as a sample roaster and cupper. While he was always happy to see producers receive a solid price for their coffees through this exporter, he noticed that there was very little understanding at the buyer level of what went into coffee production. Too often he watched coffees produced by people he knew be rejected due to a single cupping session, and for this producer to receive little explanation of why it was rejected or what could be improved. What worried him the most was how this process could be confusing or demotivating to producers seeking to enter the specialty market, and he knew there had to be many who were being overlooked as a result.
Rather than focusing only on his own success as a grower, he wants to see all those around him engaged in sustainable, meaningful relationships. Now with Monkaaba, he commits himself to this on the daily. Not only does he hold weekly cupping sessions for all producers who would like to have their samples evaluated, but he also invites all those willing and interested to come and cup alongside him.
The early results have been amazing as he’s collected coffees from all over the area and hosted growers of all levels of experience and age at his farm, to cup and to discuss in depth about their goals and dreams and challenges.
Processing
After picking, cherries are immediately floated to separate defects and less dense fruits. They’re then left to ferment in an open container for 24 hours, depulped, and dry fermented for 54 hours to remove the mucilage. The coffee is then dried on raised beds for 20 days.
Brewing
Brewing Wilmer’s Tabi has proven to be surprisingly forgiving, as there’s a lot of flavor to explore. Everything is turned up here - the mouthfeel, acidity, and sweetness, are all saturated and full. As the body trends heavy, we’re enjoying a more open brew ratio of 1:17 (coffee to water) for this coffee. This allows more complexity to shine without being overpowered by simply the concentration of flavors.
If your coffee tastes drying and tannic, like oversteeped black tea or red wine - try grinding coarser.
If your coffee tastes too sour, like a lemon or under ripe fruit - try grinding finer.
