Jairo Arcila Honey Espresso

About the Coffee

Jairo Arcila grows coffee at Finca Villarazo in Colombia's coffee-producing heartland. The Arcila family has become well known in specialty coffee circles for their focus on processing technique, running trials across different methods to understand how each one changes what ends up in the cup. Jairo works across multiple farms in the region, with Villarazo being one of his primary production lots.

This coffee is the Castillo variety, processed using the honey method. Honey processing means the outer skin of the coffee cherry is removed, but a layer of the fruit's sticky mucilage is left on the bean while it dries. The amount left on affects how much sweetness and fruit character carries through to the final cup. Drying with that layer intact takes careful attention to airflow and temperature to avoid fermentation going off course.

Jairo is known for applying the same level of attention to his processing that most producers reserve only for their top competition lots. That consistency across his full harvest is part of what makes his coffees reliable for roasters looking to feature single-producer work.

About Monogram

Ben Put, Justin Eyford, and Jeremy Ho started Monogram in Calgary after crossing paths working as baristas early in their careers. They came from different backgrounds, music, health sciences, and development, but shared an interest in specialty coffee at a time when it often felt unwelcoming to newcomers. Their first setup was a hand-built coffee cart. Their first permanent cafe opened in the Altadore neighbourhood in 2014.

Ben Put has won the Canadian Barista Championship seven times, most recently in 2025, and placed third at the 2025 World Barista Championship. That competitive background feeds directly into how Monogram approaches sourcing and roasting. They maintain long-term relationships with specific producers, including Mariana Iturralde at Finca Takesi in Bolivia, the Lamastus family at Elida Estate in Panama, and Jamison Savage at Finca Deborah, also in Panama. The goal with roasting is consistency at what they call the "Sweet Spot," avoiding both the thin acidity of underdevelopment and the bitterness of roasting too dark.