Milton Monroy - Gesha Clouds

ROAST | LIGHT

ORIGIN | SAN CAYETANO, TOLIMA, COLOMBIA

NOTES | WHITE FLOWERS, MANGO, PINEAPPLE, WHITE WINE, STRUCTURED

BLACK LABEL RELEASE #23

In specialty coffee circles, Milton Monroy truly needs no introduction. He comes from a family of acclaimed coffee producers (his mother, Maria Lopez, was featured on our menu earlier this year!), and Milton's own farm in San Cayetano is one of the most renown in its region. For his part, Milton has appeared on our menu more than almost any other producer, and his name is attached to coffees at every level of production here at Black & White.

Milton really came of age in coffee alongside his father while cultivating traditional coffee varieties like Castillo and Caturra, but he has also spent the last several years dedicating his efforts, energy, and 25% of his farmland to producing stunning Gesha lots.  

Grown at the highest elevation of his farm, we are thrilled to bring back Milton's Gesha Clouds micro-lot for the second year in a row! Our friends at Forest Coffee described this lot as one that "touches the sky," and they mean that both literally and figuratively. Both on the farm in Colombia and in the cup in our hands, this coffee simply soars. 

Processing: When it comes to processing, Milton Monroy prefers to keep things slow and steady - high elevation and cooler temperatures mean that both fermentation and drying take a lot longer than usual, and become all the more meticulous. This micro-lot underwent anaerobic fermentation in 60 kg tanks for 84 hours, with intentional movement every twelve hours to ensure even and consistent fermentation. After draining for six hours, the coffee cherries were sent to mechanical dryers for round one of their drying process, removing the first layer of moisture and avoiding overly fermented flavors in the final cup. The cherries then underwent 24-32 days of extended drying time on a particular raised bed on Milton's farm, which has an average temperature of 18 degrees Celsius. The process is finally finished off in a small silo, where the coffee cherries sat until the perfect moisture content was achieved.

In the cup: If you had the pleasure of enjoying last year's Gesha Clouds lot, you'll find this year's product to be more fruited in profile. Both in aroma and in flavor, this coffee is delicate, like white flowers, and juicy, like ripe mangoes and pineapple. The whole tasting experience is reminiscent of a lovely white wine - it actually reminds us of sipping a glass of Graševina on the coast of Croatia one summer (which, if you've never had the opportunity, we highly recommend!).  

Farm | San Pedro

Producer | Milton Monroy | Elias & Shady Bayter

Variety | Gesha

Process | Anaerobic Natural

Elevation | 1800 masl