Colombia — Jose Ignacio Gómez López, Finca El Paraíso, Altos del Paraíso Caturra (Honey)

Tastes Like — 🍎 Red Apple • 🍒 Cherry • 🍯 Honey • 🌸 Floral

DETAILS

• Producer: Jose Ignacio Gómez López
• Farm: Finca El Paraíso
• Region: Nariño, Colombia
• Varietal: Caturra
• Process: Honey
• Altitude: 2,000 MASL
• Size: 250g

INTRO

Altos del Paraíso refers specifically to the highest plots on Finca El Paraíso, situated at 2,000 metres above sea level in Nariño. The altitude and micro-terroir of these upper parcels produce coffees with such a distinctive character that José Ignacio Gómez López has chosen to treat them as a separate lot — a coffee within a coffee, as it were. Prolog have been buying from Finca El Paraíso for six years and know these plots intimately.

The honey process brings out the best of what the Caturra variety can offer at this altitude: a rounded sweetness built on red apple, cherry, and honey, with a gentle floral lift that speaks to the freshness and precision of the processing. This is an accessible, joyful coffee that rewards both careful filter brewing and everyday espresso.

THE PRODUCER

José Ignacio Gómez López is a co-owner of Procaal and a key figure in Nariño's specialty coffee scene. His approach to farming is both progressive and deeply community-minded: coffee is cultivated alongside citrus and avocado to promote biodiversity and resilience, whilst a custom-built solar dryer allows precise, energy-efficient processing of the harvested cherries. José also plays an active role in the Cooperativa de Cafés Especiales de Nariño, helping fellow producers gain access to better markets and fairer prices.

Finca El Paraíso is a family-run operation where every cherry is hand-picked by skilled harvesters — a commitment to quality that runs through every stage of production. Prolog visited the farm as recently as last August, and the relationship continues to deepen with each harvest.

THE PROCESS

The Honey process at Finca El Paraíso involves:

• 🍒 Selective Harvest — Ripe cherries hand-picked at peak maturity on the highest plots
• 🔧 Depulping — Mechanical removal of the cherry skin, leaving mucilage intact on the bean
• ☀️ Drying with Mucilage — Coffee dried on raised beds with the honey layer left on, transferring sweetness and fruit complexity
• 🌡️ Solar Dryer — Temperature and airflow managed in the farm's custom-built solar drying structure, ensuring even, controlled drying

The honey process sits between the clarity of washed and the intensity of natural, delivering a cup with layered sweetness and a gentle round body, without sacrificing the inherent cleanliness of Nariño Caturra.

THE CUP

Red apple brightness and ripe cherry sweetness are held together by an underlying honey-like viscosity, with a soft floral note on the finish. The altitude of Altos del Paraíso adds extra precision and vibrancy — an elegant, rounded coffee that excels across all brew methods.

Flavour Notes

• 🍎 Red Apple
• 🍒 Cherry
• 🍯 Honey
• 🌸 Floral