Colombia — Monkaaba Group Los Magníficos SL28 (Washed)

Tastes Like — 🥭 Mango • 🍇 Green Grapes • 🍦 Vanilla Cream

DETAILS

• Producer: Various smallholder producers — Monkaaba group
• Farm: Multiple small farms, San Agustín, Huila
• Region: San Agustín, Huila, Colombia
• Varietal: SL28
• Process: Washed
• Altitude: 1,600–1,989 MASL
• Size: 250g

INTRO

Swerl presents Los Magníficos SL28 — a vibrant, juicy washed coffee from San Agustín in Colombia's Huila region. This is the latest iteration of the Los Magníficos programme, a collaborative initiative designed to support smallholder producers by opening doors to the specialty market and giving them a stable, rewarding outlet for their exceptional work.

Grown at high elevations and processed through careful washed methods, this SL28 lot offers a cup profile that's bright, clean, and immediately expressive — everything the variety is celebrated for when given the right terroir and attention.

THE PRODUCER

Los Magníficos brings together a group of dedicated smallholders working under the umbrella of Monkaaba, an initiative founded in San Agustín by Esnaider Ortega. The programme exists to solve a fundamental problem: many excellent small producers grow exceptional coffee in quantities too modest to export independently. Monkaaba pools these tiny lots, creating blends that reflect collective quality whilst ensuring every contributor benefits from the specialty premium.

The producers involved manage very small plots and deliver cherries to a shared processing point. What they share is a commitment to picking at peak ripeness, selective harvesting, and rigorous post-harvest attention. The result is a programme that has steadily grown in recognition within the specialty coffee world, with each iteration showcasing just how much exceptional coffee is being produced in the hills around San Agustín.

SL28 — originally a Kenyan variety — is an unusual choice for Colombia, making its presence here a deliberate and exciting one. The variety thrives at altitude and rewards careful washed processing with unambiguous fruit clarity.

THE PROCESS

The Washed process at the Monkaaba collective involves:

• 🍒 Selective Harvesting — Cherries picked at peak ripeness for maximum sugar development
• ✅ Flotation Sorting — Cherries floated in water to remove defects and ensure consistency
• 🔧 Mechanical Depulping — Cherry skin removed to reveal the parchment-covered bean
• 💧 Fermentation — Beans fermented to break down mucilage
• 💧 Washing — Thorough washing in clean water for a clean, precise cup
• ☀️ Raised Bed Drying — Dried on African beds to preserve brightness and clarity

This process is designed to let the SL28 variety speak clearly, producing a cup characterised by defined fruit acidity, clean sweetness, and excellent clarity.

THE CUP

Los Magníficos SL28 opens with an inviting tropical juiciness — ripe mango sweetness supported by crisp green grape acidity and a lingering vanilla cream finish. It's a coffee that rewards both careful pour-over brewing and more casual filter preparation, offering brightness and sweetness in equal measure.

Flavour Notes

• 🥭 Mango
• 🍇 Green Grapes
• 🍦 Vanilla Cream