José del Mar has been growing coffee for almost a decade, but had never sold his coffee under his own name – until now.

He already knew his coffee was good, and on a few occasions had sold to traders of specialty coffee in his area. But like the majority of smallholder producers in Colombia (who represent more than 90% of coffee producers in the country), he lacked access to resources and networks that would enable him to sell his coffee directly.

That’s where a project like monKaaba comes in. monKaaba supports smallholder producers like José del Mar first by giving feedback on the quality of the coffee and how to improve it, and second by creating opportunities to build direct relationships to roasters on the other side of the supply chain.

José del Mar Ordoñez joined monKaaba – which has been operating since 2019 – just last year after submitting this Pink Bourbon Honey for evaluation. It’s actually the first time he has produced a honey processed coffee. He had heard that this processing method gave interesting results and wanted to try his hand. monKaaba also tends to favor washed process coffees because the processing is relatively easier to control and replicate. However, the results of José del Mar’s experiment were intriguing enough for monKaaba to invite him to sell his coffee as a fully traceable lot via Semilla Coffee, which is monKaaba’s exporting partner.

We talked to José del Mar via video call back in March 2025. We wanted to open a space for both sides to meet (virtually) and start to get to know each other. We talked about what elements he would like to see on the label of his coffee. Esnaider Ortega-Gomez, who leads operations at the monKaaba warehouse in San Agustín, was also on the call. They both agreed there should be mountains in the image, representing the gorgeous landscape that surrounds José del Mar’s Finca Bella Vista. We also asked if he had any preferences for the coffee’s name. Without hesitation, José replied, “Bella Vista.” Which, as you may know, translates to “beautiful view”.

And so here it is: Bella Vista Espresso, produced by José del Mar Ordoñez in Huila, Colombia. We are deeply honored to be part of José del Mar’s journey. And very much humbled to be able to share part of his story here. We hope to bring you more words directly from José del Mar in the coming months.