Milton Monroy - Natural Gesha
MEET THE PRODUCER | The way Milton Monroy tells it, he was born surrounded by coffee trees. And, as a fourth generation producer from the hills of Tolima, Colombia, that's really not so hard to believe. Milton's impeccable Castillo and Caturra lots, as well as his renown Gesha Clouds harvest, have featured on our menu many times, and he certainly needs little introduction here. Milton inherited his farm, San Cayetuno Alto, from his parents and pivoted its production entirely to specialty coffee in 2014. In doing so, he's been able to fetch higher prices for his coffee, employ more people on his farm, and implement many waste- and water-saving practices throughout the harvest and production stages.
TRUST THE PROCESS | To reduce waste and maintain a high standard of quality, Milton is present during each harvest, ensuring that coffee cherries are picked at peak ripeness and go through several quality checks throughout processing, such as sizing and floating. And, by focusing primarily on naturally-processed coffees, the mill at San Cayetuno Alto is able to use much less water than many other coffee farms in the area.
TAKE A SIP | From a flavor perspective, this is the kind of natural Gesha we didn't really think existed a few years ago: it's clean, complex, and juicy, all without the high funk factor we often associate with natural-processed coffees. In this cup, the classic Gesha flavor profile really shines, with a fresh florality and fruit notes of lime zest, tangerine, and pomegranate. This is an elegant coffee - perhaps one of the cleanest Colombian naturals we've ever tasted - and a lovely example of Milton's commitment to excellence, both in production as well as in processing.
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Origin | Tolima, Colombia
Producer | Milton Monroy
Farm | San Cayetuno Alto
Process | Natural
Variety | Gesha
Elevation | 1800 masl
Brewing Suggestions For Our Coffee At Home
“How should I brew coffee from Black & White?” We get this question a lot, and we love chatting about how folks can get the most out of the coffees we roast. But, since everybody’s gear setup, water sources, and preferences are different, we haven’t found a great way to post definitive brew guides for specific coffees.
We do have some tips that have seemed to help most folks, though…
First, our coffees do great with a bit of rest. In our cafes, we’ve discovered that things really start to shine at or after 14 days post roast. You certainly don’t have to wait so long, but you’ll notice the cup’s clarity increase over time. Clean, washed coffees tend to need less rest than funkier coffees that feature higher-impact fermentation methods (like naturals, anaerobic naturals, or co-ferments).
For espresso, we start all of our coffees at a 1:2 ratio with a brew time around 24 seconds. This recipe usually works great for year round coffees and single origin coffees with lower impact fermentations. Funky coffees often get the longer ratio treatment (sometimes up to 1:3), but your preferences may lead you elsewhere. We celebrate that!
For filter style coffee, we tend to like hotter (at or above 205F), faster (at or under 3 minutes) brews. Our roasting philosophy focuses on maximizing sweetness and solubility in all our coffees, so you’re probably safe applying your favorite recipe.
If you have more questions, feel free to shoot us a DM or email. We’re always here for curiosity. Oh! And don’t forget–if it tastes good, it is good.
Roasting all the coffee in Raleigh, North Carolina
We roast and ship Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays
Please place your order the day before the roast day you would like your order shipped on.