Carmen Montoya Bella Vista - Washed Chiroso - Colombia

Whole Bean
Size: 8oz / 227g
Roast: Light
Recommended Rest: 4-6 weeks from roast date
Tasting Notes: lime, goji berry, chamomile

Origin Details

Region: Antioqua, Colombia
Elevation: 1900-2000 masl
Producer: Carmen Montoya, Bella Vista
Process: Washed
Variety: Chiroso

ABOUT THIS COFFEE AND PRODUCER

From Unblended:

Carmen Montoya, a coffee farmer for 23 years, inherited her love for coffee and farming from her parents. Starting with a small plot of an unknown coffee variety, she won the Cup of Excellence in 2014 with her coffee, locally named “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.

For her chiroso, Carmen harvests the ripened coffee cherries and subjects them to manual selection and flotation. The cherries are fermented for 12 hours, and then de-pulped. Small batches are then gathered and left to ferment for an additional 72 hours in open tanks. After this period, she washes the beans and sun-dries them for 8 days in sunbed driers.

WHY WE SELECTED THIS COFFEE

This release is extra special—it’s our second coffee from the Unblended Project, an initiative we’ve long admired for the way it supports new generations of coffee producers and builds real paths toward long-term sustainability in the industry.

This washed Chiroso highlights just how unique the variety can be when terroir takes the spotlight with an intense care of the land it was grown on.

On the first sip you’ll get a bright hit of lemon and lime, followed by layers of floral and tea-like notes that drift into a soft chamomile finish. As it cools, it opens up into complex sweet-tart red berries with that distinct herbal edge Chiroso is known for.

This is one of our favorite Chirosos we’ve tasted this year—expressive, elegant, and a great reminder of why we’re so excited about this variety and the producers championing it.