It is our privilege to introduce our Limited Edition Colombia Geisha Cerro Azul. Our Limited Edition series showcases rare coffees of exceptionally high quality, which display complex and fascinating flavour profiles.
Read below to gain an insight into this very special coffee from Padre Head of Coffee, Fay.
From one of the world's most progressive and experimental coffee plantations, I’m pleased to introduce Colombia Cerro Azul Geisha as our next Limited Edition coffee.
Standing out on the cupping table with intensely sweet peach iced tea-like notes, delicate floral, honey, caramel and lemon citrus – exemplifying the crisp, complex, sweet and delicate cup profiles we love in a Geisha – deciding to showcase this coffee was easy.
In addition to a delicious cup profile, highlighting the people who produce these amazing coffees and sharing their stories are equally important and considered when selecting and securing new lots. The story of Café Granja La Esperanza speaks of a long and rich history in coffee, a strong commitment to quality, and of course, people and sustainability. This Geisha was produced by third-generation farmers Rigoberto and Luis Herrera at Café Granja la Esperanza.
Café Granja La Esperanza was established over 90 years ago on a small state farm in Potosi, Colombia. Rigoberto’s grandparents founded the farm in 1930 when they arrived in the Northern area of the Valle del Cauca as part of a cultural, economic, and social movement called “La Colonización Antioqueña” (The Antiochian Colonization) where many families started to seek unoccupied land in the central and southern regions of Colombia. In 1945, Rigoberto’s father, Juan, decided to introduce three new coffee varieties to their farm in addition to Typica - Caturra, Yellow Bourbon, and Red Bourbon - and in 1945, Cafe Granja La Esperanza was born.
Juan and his wife Blanca had 11 children, all of whom helped on the farm due to lack of labour and over the years, two of the eleven showed strong interest in coffee production and processing - Rigoberto and his brother Luis.
La Esperanza is famous for being the first to bring the Geisha variety to Colombia as part of a 10-year project to improve coffee quality by introducing new exotic varietals. This contributed to the progressive coffee landscape in Colombia and paved the way for producers to introduce this rare variety to their crop, as well as experiment with new processing methods. Rigoberto and Luis have spent the last decade meticulously honing their craft - shifting from producing traditional 'C' market coffee to more delicate and exotic varietals prized by the specialty coffee industry. They’ve accumulated a wealth of knowledge and experience and producing stunning competition-winning coffees along the way.
A little on the landscape and quality. Cerro Azul sits on an elevated foothill in the Cauca Valley – approx. 1600 -2000masl. It boasts rich volcanic soils, warm breezes from the Pacific Ocean, it’s proximity to the equator and a healthy amount of rainfall. These factors all contribute to the cherries producing optimum amounts of sugar and contributing to a thriving Geisha-growing environment.
Sustainable business practices, and education are also intrinsic to Café Granja La Esperanza’s values. To ensure consistently high quality, and that only the ripest cherries make it to processing, all pickers undergo five months of training and testing. And even then, only the most senior pickers can harvest the delicate Geisha. Further to that, pickers are also paid a daily premium as opposed to by weight, to further encourage ripe cherry selection.
As we move towards the warm spring weather, flowers blooming and delicious peaches about to grace our fruit bowls, the timing of this sweet, juicy geisha from Cerro Azul could not be more perfect! Whatever your preferred brewing method is, you’ll appreciate the love and care taken to produce this stellar coffee. I’ll be brewing it via V60 and sipping it in the sunshine by the cherry blossom tree!
Don't miss your chance to try this incredible limited edition coffee.
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