This coffee replaced Villamaría as our house coffee — and we are really very excited about it because a lot of effort has gone into finding it.

La Colmena (aka Field Blend) — Spanish for "The Beehive" — comes from a group of smallholder producers in San Agustín, Huila, working under the Monkaaba initiative. The name was chosen to capture the spirit of the project: in a beehive, every member works for the good of the whole, not just themselves. Monkaaba work directly with producers to improve coffee quality, help them access the specialty market, and ultimately get a better price for their coffee — with a particular focus on younger growers and those making their first attempts at processing a coffee for microlot sale. Individually, these lots might not be strong enough to stand alone — but grouped together, the sum becomes greater than its parts.

The blend is imported by Semilla, who we are working with for the first time and came on recommendation from a roaster friend we met in Mexico in 2024. Monkaaba operates as a sister project to Semilla, giving smallholders free access to a cupping lab, training, and a rare window into the supply chain — what their coffee costs, where it travels, and who ultimately buys it.

What makes this coffee interesting is the mix of varietals — San Bernardo, Castillo, Gesha, Pink Bourbon, Caturra and Colombia — all grown at high altitude between 1650 and 2000 metres. It's not often you will see Gesha mixed in a blend like this.

Together they produce something really layered and satisfying, with a syrupy body that's everyday drinkable.

We are excited to get to know this coffee better as we roast more of it.

This coffee works well black and also with milk.

Suitable for / Cafetiere, Filter, Aeropress and Espresso
Notes / Stone Fruit, Green Apple, Caramel
Producer / Monkaaba project members
Region / San Agustín, Huila
Altitude / 1650–2000 MASL
Variety / San Bernardo, Castillo, Gesha, Pink Bourbon, Caturra, Colombia
Process / Washed
Importer / Semilla