Variety: Gesha Process: Natural Region: Cauca Altitude: 1752-1941 masl Cupping notes: Mint, floral, and cherry Producer information: Café Granja La Esperanza was born from the coffee-growing tradition of a family from Valle del Cauca. Its history begins on an original farm: Finca Potosí, acquired in 1945, when the family decided to plant new varieties (Yellow Bourbon, Red Bourbon, and Caturra) alongside the traditional Typica plantations. Over generations, two of the children, Rigoberto Herrera and Luis Herrera, showed a special interest in improving coffee production and quality. In the late 90s, they committed to organic farming, expanding their original farm and acquiring new lands, such as the farm called La Esperanza. This drive marked the beginning of a profound transformation: from traditional, volume-oriented cultivation to specialty coffee, artisanal, with high standards of quality, traceability, and terroir care. Today, Granja La Esperanza operates several farms, each with its own microclimate, soil, altitude, and unique characteristics. Among them are Cerro Azul, Las Margaritas, La Esperanza, Potosí, and others. For example, Cerro Azul, the most emblematic farm for premium varieties, boasts altitudes between 1,700 and 2,000 meters above sea level, temperatures between 15-21 °C, volcanic soils, abundant annual rainfall, and very high humidity, ideal conditions for high-altitude crops and delicate-profile coffees. It was precisely in Cerro Azul that the Gesha variety was first introduced in Colombia, from seeds brought from Panama: a milestone that marked a before and after in the farm's history. Since then, thanks to this concept of terroir + varied microclimates + experimentation, the farm produces everything from traditional varieties (Bourbon, Caturra) to exotic varieties, each cultivated in the most suitable environment. The essence of Granja La Esperanza combines: - A half-century family heritage of coffee cultivation, tradition, and local identity. - A serious commitment to quality, sustainability, and specialization: they adopted organic production, rigorously select cherries, control fermentations and drying, and research appropriate processes for each variety. - A global vision: they began exporting specialty coffees in 2003 and today supply international markets, with traceability, sensory consistency, and exhaustive process control. This approach has allowed their coffees, and especially their Geisha, to be recognized in international competitions, auctions, and world rankings: not just as another "Colombian coffee," but as a benchmark for specialty. In 2007, after their time in Panama (where they managed the "La Carleida" farm), they won first place in the Best of Panama competition with their Gesha, which marked the beginning of a new era for the farm in Colombia. Their Cerro Azul Geisha and other versions have been ranked among the best coffees in the world in international rankings. Currently, the farm exports high-end coffees to dozens of countries, the result of a combination of tradition, innovation, and rigorous quality control from cultivation to cup.