Onyx - Colombia La Riviera SL28

Coffees from La Riviera exemplifies the artistry of modern processing. The processing and wide range of offerings (from the watermelon caturra to this super clean SL28) of La Riviera shows the prowess and industry-wide understanding of both Julio Madrid and Julio Quiceno. Cultivated at La Riviera farm in Santa Rosa de Cabal, Risaralda, at an elevation of 1,750 meters above sea level, this coffee benefits from ecologically mindful practices, including the use of shade trees to enhance the growing environment. Julio Madrid, alongside his business partner Julio Quiceno, has been cultivating and processing coffee since 2013. Together, they manage three farms—Buenos Aires, Milan, and La Riviera—producing distinguished varietals such as SL28, Sudan Rume, Moka, Pink Bourbon, and Java. We visited La Riviera in late 2024, where we cupped the entire span of the coffee line. With Julio Quiceno and Fernando Oka, we honed in on four coffees to represent the profile of the farm, with the first being this SL28 variety. While typically cultivated in Kenya, they have carefully transplanted this variety through the acclimation period, allowing it to flourish on the hills in Risaralda. While the innovative approach to cultivating exotic varieties is exciting, the real focus of this project is processing. Throughout our visit, we saw their focus and passion for post-harvest processing. Throughout the season, they monitor variables within the fermentations, while inoculating the fermentation with yeast to allow the coffee to reach it's fullest potential.

In Colombia, a new generation of producers like Julio Madrid and Julio Quiceno is redefining specialty coffee with innovative processing methods that set benchmarks for quality and sustainability. This coffee represents the future of the industry, showcasing how bold experimentation can continuously elevate coffee's potential. As we curate more offerings, I hope to highlight coffees like this one—proof that the evolution of processing techniques can drive sustainability and inspire a thriving future for specialty coffee.