Santa Monica-Mango, Colombia

ORIGIN OF THE PRODUCT Santa Monica-Mango, Colombia

Jairo Arcila is a thirdJairo Arcila is a third-generation coffee grower from Quindio, Colombia. He bought his first farm, Finca La Esmeralda, in 1987, while working full time as Mill Manager for Colombia's second-largest exporter — a position he held for over 40 years until his retirement in 2019. Using his savings, he gradually acquired five more farms: Villarazo, Mazatlan, Santa Monica, Maracay, and Buenos Aires. During harvest, Jairo provides employment for local workers, with meaningful economic impact on his community. His sons Carlos and Felipe — co-founders of Cofinet — guided him toward specialty coffee production and the cultivation of exotic varieties. Today, alongside Castillo, Finca Santa Monica hosts Pink Bourbon, Java, Papayo, and Gesha. Washed + Mango is one of Cofinet's most refined co-fermented lots — and one of its most understated. Ripe cherries are transported to the La Pradera processing center in GrainPro bags, then floated in water tanks to remove low-density beans. The water is recycled through a vetiver grass filtration system, ensuring no contaminated water is discharged. The cherries undergo 48 hours of dry anaerobic fermentation with mango pulp added to the tanks — the mango transfers tropical sweetness and a luscious, juicy character without overpowering the coffee. Following fermentation, the cherries are pulped and thoroughly washed to remove all mucilage. The wastewater is treated through the same green filtration system. Drying takes place on elba station for 10 days with regular turning, to a moisture content of 9.5–11%. At Handpickers, we selected Jairo Arcila Santa Monica Washed + Mango because it represents something rare in co-fermented coffees: a process that enriches the terroir rather than masking it. The washed phase preserves clarity; the mango adds the tropical dimension — and the result is a cup that combines two things rarely found together: lightness and depth. This lot belongs to our Reserve series: limited, seasonal, for those who value precision.-generation coffee grower from Quindio, Colombia. He bought his first farm, Finca La Esmeralda, in 1987, while working full time as Mill Manager for Colombia's second-largest exporter — a position he held for over 40 years until his retirement in 2019. Using his savings, he gradually acquired five more farms: Villarazo, Mazatlan, Santa Monica, Maracay, and Buenos Aires. During harvest, Jairo provides employment for local workers, creating meaningful economic impact in his community. His sons Carlos and Felipe — co-founders of Cofinet — guided him toward specialty coffee production and the cultivation of exotic varieties. Today, alongside Castillo, Finca Santa Monica hosts Pink Bourbon, Java, Papayo, and Gesha. The processing of this lot is among the most intricate Cofinet applies. Ripe cherries are transported to the La Pradera processing center in GrainPro bags to preserve freshness, then floated in water tanks to remove low-density beans. The water is recycled through a vetiver grass filtration system — no contaminated water is discharged. The cherries undergo 72 hours of dry anaerobic fermentation with pulp on, with ripe strawberries and wine yeast added to the tanks. The strawberries transfer their sweet, fruity flavours to the coffee; the wine yeast enhances fermentation, producing aromatic compounds that add complexity and depth. After fermentation, the cherries are pulped — the outer skin removed, the mucilage retained — and dried on a concrete patio for 11 days to a moisture content of 9.5–11%. At Handpickers, we selected Jairo Arcila Santa Monica because it represents a generation of producers who did not stop at inherited knowledge — they enriched it. Jairo built six farms over decades of consistent work, and now, guided by his sons, produces coffee that competes with the finest specialty lots in the world. This lot belongs to our Reserve series: for those who want to understand how far a Castillo can go when the processing respects it.