Colombia — Rigoberto Herrera Granja La Esperanza Potosí Sidra (Natural)

Tastes Like — 🍒 Wild Cherry • 🍑 Red Plum • 🫐 Blackberry • 🍫 Chocolate

DETAILS

• Producer: Rigoberto Herrera (Café Granja La Esperanza)
• Farm: Finca Potosí
• Region: Caicedonia, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
• Varietal: Sidra
• Process: Natural (Controlled Cherry Fermentation 18–50 hours)
• Altitude: 1,400–1,860 MASL
• Harvest: 2025
• Size: 100g

INTRO

From Finca Potosí — the historic founding farm of Café Granja La Esperanza in Caicedonia — a naturally processed Sidra of exceptional intensity and depth. With a vinous, structured acidity and a creamy, persistent body, this is a coffee built in layers: wild cherry vibrancy leads into red plum and blackberry richness, before a long enveloping chocolate finish ties everything together. In the cup: wild cherry, red plum, blackberry, and chocolate.

THE PRODUCER

Café Granja La Esperanza is a Colombian family enterprise founded in 1945 by Juan Antonio Herrera and Blanca Ligia Correa, today led by their descendants Rigoberto and Luis Herrera. From their base in the Valle del Cauca, they have become one of the most celebrated names in global specialty coffee — pioneers in introducing Gesha to Colombia, innovators in honey and natural processing, and developers of hybrid varieties including the "Mandela". Their portfolio of farms — Potosí, Cerro Azul, La Esperanza, and Las Margaritas — each occupies a distinct altitude and microclimate, producing coffees of remarkable aromatic complexity.

Finca Potosí is where the story began. Founded in 1945 by the Herrera family, this 52-hectare farm in Caicedonia sits between 1,400 and 1,860 MASL and is specialised in natural processing with controlled cherry fermentations of 18 to 50 hours depending on the desired profile. The farm balances deep family tradition with a forward-looking approach to innovation — and its naturally processed lots represent some of the most characterful and expressive coffees in the CGLE portfolio.

THE PROCESS

The Natural process at Finca Potosí involves:

🍒 Hand-picking — Cherries selectively harvested at peak ripeness 🔒 Controlled cherry fermentation — Whole cherries fermented for 18–50 hours in a controlled environment, with duration adjusted according to the target cup profile ☀️ Natural drying — Cherries dried whole-fruit after fermentation, allowing sugars and fruit character to integrate fully into the bean

The controlled cherry fermentation is the defining step — by managing the duration and conditions of fermentation with precision, the CGLE team direct the development of Sidra's inherent wild cherry and dark fruit character toward the vinous, layered complexity and creamy body that define this lot, while natural drying locks in the depth and sweetness of the finish.

THE CUP

A richly expressive and beautifully structured natural Sidra from one of Colombia's most storied and celebrated farms — wild cherry vibrancy and vinous acidity up front, deepening into red plum and blackberry richness, before a long, enveloping chocolate finish. Granja La Esperanza's signature written large.

Flavour Notes

🍒 Wild Cherry 🍑 Red Plum 🫐 Blackberry 🍫 Chocolate