SEY Coffee

2026 Luis & Mildred Montoya; La Arboleda - Colombia

Luis and Mildred Montoya's La Arboleda sits at 2,100 meters in Urrao, Antioquia, where they cultivate Chiroso, a mysterious Ethiopian landrace varietal now emerging as a specialty standout in Colombia. The coffee is hand-picked, floated for quality, then fermented underwater in stainless steel tanks using the cochadas method—coffee is added throughout the week and washed together on Monday, a technique that builds distinctive funky character. The cup delivers mulberry, peach, and lemon with the textural complexity that cochada fermentation imparts. This is SEY's first year with La Arboleda, marking the beginning of a deliberate buying program around Chiroso in Urrao; the variety's origins in the region remain a mystery, but its cup quality justifies the search.