CGLE17 - Hybrid Washed - Finca Las Margaritas, Cafe Granja La Esperanza

Tastes Like: Honeysuckle, Mango, Kumquat Origin: Finca Las Margaritas, Valle del Cauca, Colombia Variety: CGLE-17 Producer: Rigoberto and Luis Eduardo Herrera Elevation: 1,570-1,850 masl Process: Hybrid Washed Abstract / Cup Profile Summary This CGLE-17 from Finca Las Margaritas presents a floral, fruit-forward cup led by honeysuckle aromatics, mango-like sweetness, and a bright kumquat citrus edge. The hybrid washed process supports a clean, articulated structure while adding enough fermentation-driven depth to round out the tropical fruit and floral finish. About Finca Las Margaritas, Cafe Granja La Esperanza Finca Las Margaritas is part of Café Granja La Esperanza, the Colombian specialty coffee project led by Rigoberto and Luis Eduardo Herrera in Valle del Cauca. Located in Caicedonia, Las Margaritas sits across a high-elevation range of approximately 1,570–1,850 meters and is one of the group’s key farms for rare varieties, careful lot separation, and precise post-harvest work. The Herrera family’s coffee history traces back to Potosí, where Juan Antonio Herrera expanded plantings beyond Typica to include Yellow Bourbon, Red Bourbon, and Caturra. That foundation of intentional variety selection continues through the current generation, with Las Margaritas serving as a focused site for expressive cultivars and controlled processing styles. About CGLE17 CGLE-17 is a Café Granja La Esperanza selection associated with a Gesha and Caturra cross. In general terms, this makes the variety especially interesting: Gesha is often valued for florality, aromatic clarity, and refined acidity, while Caturra is widely planted for its compact structure and agronomic practicality. In this lot, CGLE-17 gives useful context for the coffee’s floral aromatics, citrus lift, and tropical fruit expression, though those cup qualities are shaped just as much by farm conditions and processing as by variety alone. About Processing This lot uses a Hybrid Washed process built around two fermentation stages. Whole cherries are first fermented for 19–22 hours before depulping, encouraging early aromatic development while the fruit is still intact. After depulping, the coffee undergoes a second fermentation for approximately 35 hours in parchment with remaining mucilage, deepening sweetness and improving texture before the coffee is finished as a washed process. The result is a profile that keeps the transparency and structure associated with washed coffee while adding more fruit depth and tactile sweetness than a straightforward washed process might typically show. For this CGLE-17, the process supports honeysuckle-like florality, mango-toned sweetness, kumquat-like acidity, and a clean, composed finish.