Steven Hoyos

Meet Stiven Hoyos, part of the next generation of the Hoyos Alvarado family, a third-generation coffee-growing household. His father, Don Rodrigo Hoyos, has spent decades farming coffee, starting out earning just 3 pesos for his first wages at age 15 — driven not by money, but by the dream of building a farm with his family.

Stiven has been part of that farm, Balceros, since childhood, helping with harvest while completing school. He once set his sights on university, and after his entrance exam results fell short, he felt the disappointment of that setback — but he settled into staying on the farm, and his father gave him his own plot of land to manage in response. He started by planting 800 Caturra trees, then added 5,000 Pink Bourbon trees in 2017 as the variety gained recognition locally for its yield and productivity at altitude — both now in full production. The farm's Gesha, the variety behind this particular lot, rounds out that work. Stiven sees specialty coffee as something that finally gives young growers like him real recognition — valued not just at home, but by visitors from around the world who now stop by the farm to say hello.

Espresso:

Use 18-22g of coffee.

• Aim to extract 37 – 39g of liquid.
• Extraction time should be 28 – 32 sec.
• Water temperature: 91 – 94°C.

Filter/Drip/Immersion:

• Start with a ratio of 1:16 (coffee to water).
• Example: If using 20g of coffee, target around 320g of brewed liquid.
• Water temperature: 91 – 93°C.

Pour Over:

• Coffee dose: 15 g
• Water: 220–250 g (≈1:15–1:16 ratio)
• Water temperature: 92 °C / 198 °F
• Filter: CAFEC T-90 medium-dark paper filter
• Filter prep: Quick rinse only

☕ Brewing Steps

• Add ~45 g water (3× coffee weight).
• Pour in a spiral with good agitation to fully saturate.
• Allow the bloom to last at least 45 seconds, and extend up to 2 minutes depending on the coffee’s roast level and freshness.

• After bloom, pour in a spiral to cover all grounds.
• Continue in small circles until reaching 220–250 g total water.
• Keep the pour steady and even.

• Total brew time: ~2 minutes (not including extended bloom).
• Only swirl the brewer if the drawdown is too fast, to slow it down.
• Otherwise, let the coffee drain naturally.

Don’t forget to play around with the variables and have fun!

Enjoy

Washed

Washed. Ripe cherries are harvested every three weeks, with the plants resting for two weeks in between. They're fermented in a cement hopper for 14 hours, then pulped and fermented a second time for 32 hours in a majolica tank. After washing, they drain for two hours before drying for 18 to 22 days.

Monkaaba is an initiative in San Agustín led by Esnaider Ortega Gomez and other coffee growers associated with the Los Naranjos group.

They aim to empower smallholder coffee growers by helping them gain autonomy in production and marketing.

Monkaaba assists growers in finding better markets and invests in their knowledge and skills for long-term success.

Esnaider's inspiration came from his experience as a sample roaster and cupper, where he saw producers struggle with understanding buyer requirements. He felt many producers were overlooked in the specialty market due to a lack of feedback and support.

Through Monkaaba, Esnaider focuses on the well-being of all coffee producers in Huila, hosting cupping sessions and discussions to support growers of all levels. This project is crucial for the future of specialty coffee, fostering producer engagement and understanding while building authentic relationships with roasters.

What We Paid to Stiven Hoyos

Farmgate price (what we paid Stiven): 5,000,000 Colombian Pesos per carga. That's the amount Stiven received directly for his coffee — well above the national average.

National average farmgate price (recent): 2,900,000 COP per carga. Most producers in Colombia were getting this amount around that time — 2,100,000 COP less than what we paid.

FOB price (export level): $7.32 USD per pound. This is the price typically paid for coffee ready to export — it includes export fees, logistics, and milling.

Additional costs we covered: ➕ $42.70 CAD surcharge, ➕ $16.62 CAD freight, ➕ $2.29 CAD HST. These are our own costs on top of what we paid Stiven, ensuring his payment was untouched by shipping or import expenses.

Most farmers were getting around 2.9M COP per carga, but we paid 5M — roughly 72% more. This is how we build transparent, fair, and impactful relationships — one coffee at a time.