Montilla Family /Boca Café
Boconó, Venezuela
The Montilla Family Farms in Boconó
In the mountainous valley of Boconó in the state of Trujillo, Víctor Montilla cultivates coffee on lands inherited from his grandfather, spread across several small haciendas such as El Caotal, El Linaje, Mi Querencia, and La Victoria. These four hectares, tended by generations of the Montilla family, form the foundation of a coffee-growing tradition that blends ancestral knowledge with a commitment to Venezuelan agricultural identity. The farms sit in a biodiverse Andean environment, where fruit trees and native shade species create a natural agroforestry system that enriches the soil and preserves ecological balance.
In November 2022, we visited the Montilla family at their farm. A warm and inspiring meeting that revealed both their deep connection to the land and their ambition. The hospitality was exceptional, the surroundings breathtaking, and the photos taken during our visit testify to the care, passion and human dimension behind every bag of coffee.
Varieties and Cultivation
Montilla grows a broad collection of Arabica varieties adapted to the region’s altitude and terrain, including Caturra, Bourbon, Catimor, Castillo, Mundo Nuevo, Monte Claro, and the Villa Nueva. Among these, Monte Claro stands out as a truly Venezuelan variety developed for its exceptional vigor, strong branching structure, and natural resistance to coffee borer beetle and leaf rust. Its agronomic stability and cup potential have made it an emblematic cultivar for specialty coffee producers in the Andes. The farms follow a strict chemical-free approach, relying on traditional soil-preserving techniques and meticulous hand-picking. During harvest, some trees are visited up to thirty-five times to ensure that only optimally ripe cherries are collected.
Recognition and Excellence : EICEV
The precision and dedication applied throughout the cultivation process culminated in national recognition at the EICEV 2023 (Encuentro Internacional de Cafés de Especialidad Venezolano). Víctor Montilla earned a distinguished award with a fully Venezuelan Monte Claro lot that scored 90.11 points, securing his position among the country’s top specialty coffee producers. This achievement not only elevated the reputation of his farms but also reinforced Boconó’s role as a rising origin within Venezuela’s specialty coffee landscape—where local varieties, traditional practices, and family heritage converge to create coffees of remarkable character and purity.
Coffee profile
OWNER: Victor Montilla
FARM: Boca Café (El Caotal, El Linaje, Mi Querencia, La Victoria)
LOCATION: Boconó, Trujillo – Venezuela
ALTITUDE: 1500 – 1750 meters
VARIETIES: Caturra, Bourbon, Catimor, Castillo, Mundo Nuevo, Monte Claro, Villa Nueva
HARVEST: Manual picking
HARVEST PERIOD: November – March
FERTILIZER: 100% organic
