Producer, Coffee & Roast Story

From Jaime at Monta Coffee:

I had always wanted to work with Abel Salinas. To me, he is one of the most dedicated and humble producers I’ve had the privilege of working with. His passion, attention to detail, and the terroir of Finca Arashi have made his Typica Mejorado one of the coffees from Ecuador I’ve wanted to share for a long time.

When Rebecca from Mystery Coffee League asked me to be part of this incredible community, I knew I wanted to bring a classic washed Typica Mejorado from Ecuador—something that showcased the elegance and clarity of the variety, but also a tasting note I’ve always wanted to highlight: naranjilla.

Growing up in Ecuador, naranjilla juice was one of my favorites. In Colombia, the fruit is commonly known as lulo. Most people don’t eat it by itself because it can be intensely tart and acidic when raw. Instead, it’s commonly made into juice, where its sharp acidity is balanced with water and sweetness. For me, that combination of bright acidity and intense sweetness is exactly what makes naranjilla such a great descriptor for this coffee and a flavor I often associate with Ecuadorian Typica Mejorado.

Over the past five years, I’ve seen roasting and coffee preferences evolve from heavier, sweeter profiles toward lighter, more delicate and tea-like expressions. I wanted to explore both sides of that evolution with this coffee.

For this release, I experimented with different roast developments. I produced an extra-light version at around 115 Agtron that was delicate, bright, and tea-like, but I felt it needed at least four weeks of rest to fully open up. I decided to include a sample of that roast so everyone could experience it and compare.

For the main MCL roast, I increased the development slightly until I felt the sweetness and naranjilla character were fully expressed while maintaining the coffee’s clarity and elegance. The result for me is a very sweet cup with naranjilla, apple, and jasmine-like florality.

About Monta

I started Monta Coffee to share the coffees I love to drink and roast. We’re a micro-roastery based in Virginia, focused on light-roasted, high-quality coffees, with a special connection to South American producers and varieties. My goal is to highlight the work behind each coffee through thoughtful roasting, transparency, and experimentation, while sharing these coffees and their stories with our community.

Now onto the top placers:

In first place with 28 points: scirocco16!

In second place with 26 points: lucky_lamb_01280 & DD!

In third place with 25 points: Pal, randr01d, and jumeda!