Finca La Negrita Red Geisha Washed · Mauricio Shattah, Finca La Negrita, Colombia (2025)

I first heard of Mauricio Shattah via a WhatsApp message from the legend, Ratibor Hartmann. Ratibor told me, “next time you’re in Colombia, you gotta meet Mauricio. His personality and his coffee will blow you away.” I immediately called Mauricio and had a great conversation about coffee quality, the state of farming, and we both lamented the haphazard way in which coffee is grown and processed. I have since become dear friends - and partners in a coffee project - with Mauricio and, in a short span, he has become one of the worlds’ top coffee producers.

Mauricio is definitely not your average coffee farmer. He is a retired doctor (oncologist) who developed a relentless passion for coffee, agriculture and processing. An avid reader, Mauricio is taking a science-first approach to coffee that will only lead him to greatness. He is growing over 25 varieties of coffee on his farm, and around fifteen of them are presently in production.

Back in 2012, Mauricio’s wife Liliana wanted to buy a property in the countryside as a refuge from the busyness of their Bogota life. Mauricio was intrigued by coffee and agreed to buy some property with the condition that he would be allowed to plant coffee on it. So they found a lovely piece of land nestled in a valley in the mountains of Tolima, near the town of Ibagué, and with a view of the famous Sierra Nevada: a snow capped mountain. The farm, called “La Negrita”, which is named for Liliana’s nickname, is idyllic. Its geographic location, weather, access to water, surrounding vegetation, and elevation make it a prime location for growing great coffee.

When Mauricio began planting La Negrita, he didn’t want to replicate the standard monoculture Colombian coffee farm, he wanted to grow many exotic varieties, each of which would result in a unique profile.

Despite having some of the best coffee varieties in the country, Mauricio’s biggest asset is appetite for innovation. This drive has led him to reinvent the way he manages the fertilization and nutritional plan for his farm - making his own compost and fertilizers. We also can’t talk about Mauricio’s forward thinking without mentioning his processing. Long before it became cool, he was innovating his fermentation by experimenting with controlled enzyme injections, organic acids, yeasts, nitrogen, temperatures, thermal shocks and so much more. I love working with Mauricio, tasting coffees with him and learning from his approach!