History & Origins
Café Granja La Esperanza was born in 1945 when Juan Antonio Herrera decided to introduce three different varieties to the existing Typica, starting a crop of Yellow Bourbon, Red Bourbon and Caturra . The estate traces its roots to the 1930s when Israel Correa and Carmen Rosa Vega arrived in Valle del Cauca seeking unoccupied land to start a farm, acquiring Potosi . Blanca Ligia Correa (mother) and Juan Antonio Herrera (father) married and had fourteen children, and the couple were then later assigned to work and live at the Potosi farm .
Two of the eleven children, Rigoberto and Luis, showed special interest in coffee production and processing . They decided to give their crop a new direction, changing to organic in the late 90’s . The defining moment came in 2007 when Don Rigoberto had the chance to lease and manage a coffee farm in the region of Boquete in Panama, called “La Carleida”, and a year later obtained first place in the “Best coffee of Panama” . At this point he decided to bring some of the Gesha seeds to Colombia, starting a new era in the history of Granja La Esperanza . The staff spent two years studying the famous Geisha varietal in Boquete Panama, on a property adjacent to the famed Peterson Esmeralda farm, before becoming the first producers to bring the varietal to Colombia at their Finca Cerro Azul in Trujillo .
Today, Granja La Esperanza is managed by Don Rigoberto Herrera Correa and his brother Luis, comprising four farms in Colombia’s Valle del Cauca Department, and another in Cundinamarca . This farm is praised by experts as a monument of specialty coffee in Colombia, because not only has a history of development spanning more than 7 decades, it also owns batches of premium coffee specialized for world-class competitions .
Terroir & Growing Conditions
Five farms make up Café Granja La Esperanza – Cerro Azul, Las Margaritas, La Esperanza, Potosi and Hawaii. Cerro Azul and La Esperanza are located in the municipality of Trujillo, Las Margaritas and Potosi are in Caicedonia and Hawaii is in Sasaima, Cundinamarca . The farms are located in eight distinct microclimates positioned across three mountain ranges in Colombia , providing optimal conditions for specialty coffee cultivation.
The flagship Cerro Azul farm exemplifies the estate’s terroir mastery. In Cerro Azul just the Geisha variety is grown because there is the ideal microclimate for it at 1700 – 2000 masl and a temperature variation of 15 – 21 degrees Celsius . The farm has a minimum altitude of 1,700 masl and maximum altitude of 2,000 masl, with minimum temperature of 15°C, maximum temperature of 21°C, rainfall of 1,526 mm/year, and humidity of 85 – 90% . It is called Cerro Azul or ‘Blue Mountain’ because when Don Rigoberto was living on the La Esperanza farm he could see the mountain from his house, which to him looked blue and white because of the mist which surrounded its peak .
The estate consists of five farms divided into small lots dedicated to growing Gesha, Sidra, Yellow Bourbon, Red Bourbon and Caturra varieties. Each farm has its own distinct geographical and climatic features that help coffee varieties grown in this place have sweet and rich notes, like a Colombian symphony . On this coffee farm, to conserve local forest and fauna, the coffee is planted under natural shade. The coffee beans mature more slowly in the shade, sugar content is increased which enhances the flavor of the coffee .
Processing & Production
Café Granja La Esperanza has revolutionized Colombian specialty processing through innovative fermentation techniques and meticulous quality control. The team at Granja La Esperanza is driven by a combination of science, business, and an obsession with quality coffee. The team creates milling and processing protocols tailored for each distinctive microclimate and varietal . In addition to applying advanced scientific organic farming techniques, they constantly explore and innovate production and processing processes. Farm operators have invested, built a quality laboratory to check the quality of coffee at every stage, from cultivation to roasting .
The estate pioneered several signature processing methods. Their natural XO process means putting whole coffee cherries in vacuum sealed grainpro bag and then in a tank for 48 hours slow fermentation process. After the cherries are in the perfect fermented conditions, they are taken to a Silo where it starts the drying process and it takes from 3 to 4 days. It increases intensity of the flavor that are similar to XO cognac . They also have a new processing method called Napoleon (new Anaerobic Natural Process) whereas coffee cherries are fermented for 166 hours .
The two-stage fermentation of their lots—both in the intact cherry and then again with the skin removed—allows beautiful florals and sweet fruit notes to shine. Fermentation time ranges between 19 and 22 hours in whole cherries, and then the skin is removed to start the second fermentation step in parchment and mucilage for 35 hours . Coffee is picked every 4 days during harvest season and only fully matured cherries. Coffee harvesters must demonstrate a level of excellence during a five month training period before being qualified to pick the Geisha cherries at the peak of ripeness .
Cup Profile & Tasting Notes
Granja La Esperanza’s Cerro Azul Gesha exhibits predominantly flavors of orange and ruby grapefruit paired with an especially smooth, chocolatey mouthfeel. This geisha is not especially floral in nature but rather citrus fruit filled with background notes of coffee and orange blossom . Their Enano variety displays similar characteristics to Gesha — brightness, jasmine, and peach-like flavors . Sudan Rume from the estate produces a unique fragrance and aroma: Floral, vanilla, apricot, red fruits, chocolate .
The estate’s processing innovations significantly impact flavor development. Their X.O and Napoleon processes enhance the flavor, creating a rich complex for the scent . Their meticulous production process has resulted in a coffee that creates a balance between primary terroir flavors, and secondary process-driven flavors. In this cup, this means fresh and bright acidity from the high altitude Cauca Valley terroir, combined with soft ripe fruit and a heavy rich sweetness .
Competition-level quality defines every lot. They have a team of Q-Grader experts to verify and analyze all of their coffee batches to ensure the best quality, uniformity and stability. In addition, Café Granja La Esperanza also collaborates with suppliers to share knowledge and good manufacturing practices, to ensure that each of their coffees has a score of 84 or higher . Coffee from Finca Cerro Azul won the Triple Crown Award at the SCAA conference in 2012 and was ranked second place with a score of 88.25 . The first place of 2019 Brewer’s Cup championship in France, Singapore, Denmark all used Geisha coffee beans from Cafe Granja La Esperanza .