The Magnificent SL28 - Colombia

Bright and full of juice. Flavors of mango, green grapes, and vanilla cream.

Origin: Colombia
Region: San Agustín, Huila
Producer: Various growers from the Monkaaba group
Height: 1600 - 1989 meters above sea level
Variety: SL28
Method: Washed

(Processing differs among growers, and each grower delivers their parchment to the Monkaaba warehouse, where it is then tasted, examined, and selected for this batch)

Roasted for: Filter

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We obtain this batch through our partners at Semilla and Monkaaba, and as always, the way they work simply makes sense, serving a true purpose while also ensuring exceptionally high quality.

This batch represents the fourth edition of Los Magnificos, created to ensure that small batches of higher-quality coffee can still be purchased despite their size. Most of the growers involved in this blend manage very small plots, and as a result, often deliver tiny amounts of coffee.

When they have more land, this allows Semilla to take small amounts that might come from a single harvest and avoid waiting for a large batch from one grower, during which time the quality might decline.

This kind of quantity would be difficult to mill and export on its own (or at least, very costly and time-consuming), but the quality of this coffee and others involved was high enough that rejecting it due to size would lead them to sell it to a larger buyer where it would likely receive a lower price and then be anonymously blended into large regional batches that move with little traceability, leaving the small grower wondering where their coffee went and how to build on the sale.

It remains a sad truth of the global coffee system—and especially in a large producing region like Huila—that the logistics and management around small batches are too costly or time-consuming to make economic sense for buyers. As a result, not only must the quality be high, but a small grower must also have the necessary quantity to earn the higher prices they deserve.

Los Magnificos aims to open opportunities and give small growers a steady foundation as they take the challenging steps of improving their post-harvest processing methods. Even in small amounts, the income earned makes a difference, but more importantly, it creates a space for community, dialogue, and learning that is usually not offered to such small growers. The result is often a stable situation where buyers benefit, and small growers are motivated or encouraged to improve and grow.