Goth Phase - Colombia, San Augustin
For those to whom dark roast coffee is not just a passing phase, we offer our first true dark roast, “Goth Phase.” We approached this offering with the same thoroughness we give each of our coffees, beginning with carefully identifying a coffee that presents the sweetness and body we want from higher levels of development while retaining intrinsic qualities that compliment this darker roast style. We then develop a thoughtful roast profile that hits the mark of what we like about more developed coffees: more caramelization, richer chocolate notes, high body, and low acidity.
This season’s coffee comes from Esnaider Ortega, a member of the Monkaaba community that we have begun to work so closely with. While we have yet to meet Esnaider, we are fortunate enough to have been connected through Semilla. Here is a note from Esnaider:
“These last couple of years have seen a very unique change in my life. After producing coffee with my family for many years, I decided to focus my efforts not only in producing and marketing our coffees but I wanted to go further with a group of friends. My friend Brendan Adams of Semilla coffee gave us the opportunity to be able to learn, work, and grow together in this great dream, looking for a real impact in the coffee supply chain.
It was a big change in my life, with moments of despair and discomfort, because many times we felt we were trying to make a change in a system where trust had been lost. This system, in which I have felt for a long time and where I am more than sure now, where we as small producers have been like instruments for companies — big or small — where they are only trying to protect their own interests while we’re left to carry a very high percentage of the risks.
The curious thing about it all is to continue hearing lots of people saying that they want a change, where the really important people are the producers but deep down, we don’t know what their intentions are. They say we’re important but still they’re not ready to share the risks.
On the other hand, this year gave me the chance to share and learn from producers who have dedicated all their life to this great work. To hear their experiences helped me to understand a little about the past and how until today there has been no significant or equitable change in our region where we have produced coffee for more than 50 years, where the biggest problem continues being the lack of good sales channels.
I also shared stories with young people and to hear their short but emotional experiences — where they let us enter into their lives, to share a coffee in their houses and always make us feel welcomed like we were family, to know their dreams in coffee, where they always are looking for a real change that will bring us to a better quality of life — this is what makes us continue ahead, armed with strong belief in this project where we want to achieve real relationships.
Today more than ever I feel committed, not only with myself and my family but also with local friends and producers because they have put their trust and vision in us.”
Smallholders like Esnaider and his family are too often the most taken advantage of in our industry where they bear all of the risk and our companies so little. Working to develop more relationships in which we take on a fair share of the risk has become one of our commitments as a cooperative and we are happy to work with Esnaider’s beautiful coffee.
We Taste: Toasted Marshmallow, Butterscotch, Burnt Citrus
Country: Colombia
Region: San Augustin, Huila
Process: Washed
Lot name: Villa Maria
Producer: Esnaider Ortega
Varietal: Red Caturra
Elevation: 1750 MASL
Harvest Date: September-November 2023
Farmgate Price: 2,900,000 Colombian Pesos
FOB Price: $3.54USD/lb
Our Price: $4.90USD/lb
Quantity Purchased: 8 x 70kgs
For those to whom dark roast coffee is not just a passing phase, we offer our first true dark roast, “Goth Phase.” We approached this offering with the same thoroughness we give each of our coffees, beginning with carefully identifying a coffee that presents the sweetness and body we want from higher levels of development while retaining intrinsic qualities that compliment this darker roast style. We then develop a thoughtful roast profile that hits the mark of what we like about more developed coffees: more caramelization, richer chocolate notes, high body, and low acidity.
This season’s coffee comes from Esnaider Ortega, a member of the Monkaaba community that we have begun to work so closely with. While we have yet to meet Esnaider, we are fortunate enough to have been connected through Semilla. Here is a note from Esnaider:
“These last couple of years have seen a very unique change in my life. After producing coffee with my family for many years, I decided to focus my efforts not only in producing and marketing our coffees but I wanted to go further with a group of friends. My friend Brendan Adams of Semilla coffee gave us the opportunity to be able to learn, work, and grow together in this great dream, looking for a real impact in the coffee supply chain.
It was a big change in my life, with moments of despair and discomfort, because many times we felt we were trying to make a change in a system where trust had been lost. This system, in which I have felt for a long time and where I am more than sure now, where we as small producers have been like instruments for companies — big or small — where they are only trying to protect their own interests while we’re left to carry a very high percentage of the risks.
The curious thing about it all is to continue hearing lots of people saying that they want a change, where the really important people are the producers but deep down, we don’t know what their intentions are. They say we’re important but still they’re not ready to share the risks.
On the other hand, this year gave me the chance to share and learn from producers who have dedicated all their life to this great work. To hear their experiences helped me to understand a little about the past and how until today there has been no significant or equitable change in our region where we have produced coffee for more than 50 years, where the biggest problem continues being the lack of good sales channels.
I also shared stories with young people and to hear their short but emotional experiences — where they let us enter into their lives, to share a coffee in their houses and always make us feel welcomed like we were family, to know their dreams in coffee, where they always are looking for a real change that will bring us to a better quality of life — this is what makes us continue ahead, armed with strong belief in this project where we want to achieve real relationships.
Today more than ever I feel committed, not only with myself and my family but also with local friends and producers because they have put their trust and vision in us.”
Smallholders like Esnaider and his family are too often the most taken advantage of in our industry where they bear all of the risk and our companies so little. Working to develop more relationships in which we take on a fair share of the risk has become one of our commitments as a cooperative and we are happy to work with Esnaider’s beautiful coffee.
We Taste: Toasted Marshmallow, Butterscotch, Burnt Citrus
Country: Colombia
Region: San Augustin, Huila
Process: Washed
Lot name: Villa Maria
Producer: Esnaider Ortega
Varietal: Red Caturra
Elevation: 1750 MASL
Harvest Date: September-November 2023
Farmgate Price: 2,900,000 Colombian Pesos
FOB Price: $3.54USD/lb
Our Price: $4.90USD/lb
Quantity Purchased: 8 x 70kgs
For those to whom dark roast coffee is not just a passing phase, we offer our first true dark roast, “Goth Phase.” We approached this offering with the same thoroughness we give each of our coffees, beginning with carefully identifying a coffee that presents the sweetness and body we want from higher levels of development while retaining intrinsic qualities that compliment this darker roast style. We then develop a thoughtful roast profile that hits the mark of what we like about more developed coffees: more caramelization, richer chocolate notes, high body, and low acidity.
This season’s coffee comes from Esnaider Ortega, a member of the Monkaaba community that we have begun to work so closely with. While we have yet to meet Esnaider, we are fortunate enough to have been connected through Semilla. Here is a note from Esnaider:
“These last couple of years have seen a very unique change in my life. After producing coffee with my family for many years, I decided to focus my efforts not only in producing and marketing our coffees but I wanted to go further with a group of friends. My friend Brendan Adams of Semilla coffee gave us the opportunity to be able to learn, work, and grow together in this great dream, looking for a real impact in the coffee supply chain.
It was a big change in my life, with moments of despair and discomfort, because many times we felt we were trying to make a change in a system where trust had been lost. This system, in which I have felt for a long time and where I am more than sure now, where we as small producers have been like instruments for companies — big or small — where they are only trying to protect their own interests while we’re left to carry a very high percentage of the risks.
The curious thing about it all is to continue hearing lots of people saying that they want a change, where the really important people are the producers but deep down, we don’t know what their intentions are. They say we’re important but still they’re not ready to share the risks.
On the other hand, this year gave me the chance to share and learn from producers who have dedicated all their life to this great work. To hear their experiences helped me to understand a little about the past and how until today there has been no significant or equitable change in our region where we have produced coffee for more than 50 years, where the biggest problem continues being the lack of good sales channels.
I also shared stories with young people and to hear their short but emotional experiences — where they let us enter into their lives, to share a coffee in their houses and always make us feel welcomed like we were family, to know their dreams in coffee, where they always are looking for a real change that will bring us to a better quality of life — this is what makes us continue ahead, armed with strong belief in this project where we want to achieve real relationships.
Today more than ever I feel committed, not only with myself and my family but also with local friends and producers because they have put their trust and vision in us.”
Smallholders like Esnaider and his family are too often the most taken advantage of in our industry where they bear all of the risk and our companies so little. Working to develop more relationships in which we take on a fair share of the risk has become one of our commitments as a cooperative and we are happy to work with Esnaider’s beautiful coffee.
We Taste: Toasted Marshmallow, Butterscotch, Burnt Citrus
Country: Colombia
Region: San Augustin, Huila
Process: Washed
Lot name: Villa Maria
Producer: Esnaider Ortega
Varietal: Red Caturra
Elevation: 1750 MASL
Harvest Date: September-November 2023
Farmgate Price: 2,900,000 Colombian Pesos
FOB Price: $3.54USD/lb
Our Price: $4.90USD/lb
Quantity Purchased: 8 x 70kgs