Colombia

CGLE17

The first year we have been able to purchase this complex and floral CGLE17 hybrid, iterated and honed over the past 10 years by Café Granja

Delicate florals, distinct from the character of Geisha; heavier, almost spicy in their expression.
Launch, 200 boxes available
For subscribers: 22th of June, 14.00 (GMT +2)
For email list: 23th of June, 14.00 (GMT +2)
Public release: 24th of June, 14.00 (GMT +2)
Coffee expression
A floral & wild coffee
Whole Bean Coffee
100g (3.53oz)

Regular price: $37.00
incl. vat/tax
Sale price: $37.00
incl. vat/tax
Regular price: ~~$37.00~~
Unit price: per

Varietal
CGLE17

Producer
Café Granja La Esperanza

Process
Natural

Taste the varietal

CGLE17

The complex aromatic character is the highlight of the CGLE17, with Geisha-like white flowers underpinned by complex herbal and spicy character, before an incredible complexity of fruit in the cup, from fresh strawberry through to citrus.

This incredibly limited lot was produced at Potosí, located near Caicedonia in the Cauca Valley.

Café Granja La Esperanza

Potosí CGLE17

The CGLE17 varietal is a first for us, a hybrid cultivar iterated and honed by the team over the past 10 years. The aim was to cross the Geisha varietal with Caturra, maintaining a degree of disease resistance and high yield potential, while gaining the high quality and distinct aromatic character of Geisha. The initial selections and crossings were made in 2011, with the first trees from this work eventually planted in 2014. This ‘F1’ hybrid is often slightly unstable, so further selections were made over subsequent generations, mainly searching for physical qualities of the trees, yields, resistance etc. In 2017, the final selection was crossed back with Geisha from Cerro Azul and planted at Potosí, completing the process. Delicate florals, distinct from the character of Geisha; heavier, almost spicy in their expression. A deep sweetness, reflective of Geisha’s roots in Ethiopia and Caturra’s in Bourbon. We were lucky enough to taste samples from the small harvests of CGLE that followed, but this is the first full harvest that we’ve been able to purchase an exportable lot from.

CGLE17

Fresh varietal character

This lot was processed using the same protocol as the Sidra and Geisha lots from earlier in the series, with a 24 hour open tank fermentation followed by 92 hours in closed tanks. The aim here is to keep the initial fermentation short, holding on to the fresh varietal character and the aromatics that really set CGLE17 apart. The complex florals in this lot are the highlight, with Geisha like white flowers underpinned by complex herbal and spicy character, before an incredible complexity of fruit in the cup, from fresh strawberry through to citrus.

Produced using Café Granja’s generations of professionalism and expertise.

Café Granja La Esperanza

Varietal Series

This year, we are excited to present a varietal series from our partners at Café Granja La Esperanza. One of the most revered producers in Colombia, and on Barista competition stages the world over, we have been collaborating with Granja on super high-end lots since 2014. Over the past few years however, we have been visiting more often, and become more aware of the breadth of work this dedicated and passionate group of people. This series presents a fuller view of their work, from their elevation of ordinary varietals, all the way to incredibly rare varietals, hybridised by the Granja team on their farms. An extensive cupping, both in Colombia and at home in Copenhagen, has led us to this selection with the focus on varietal first, process second. Each lot has been selected with the aim of presenting the varietal characteristics in the most delicious and clear way, based on the discussions and experiences we have had on our trips to visit the Granja team. We are truly proud of our relationship with these trailblazers, and look forward to sharing their work with you over the coming weeks.

Technical Data

Producer
Café Granja La Esperanza
Region
Valle del Cauca
Altitude
1800 masl
Varietal
CGLE17
Process
Natural
Harvest
November 2021

Natural Process

The natural, or dry process, is the traditional process, going back generations. When accomplished in a controlled and careful manner, dry processed coffees can produce flavour experiences not found in wet processed coffees, deep fruits and florals, normally with heavier mouthfeel and lower acidity. The cherries are first sorted, and then laid out on in thin layers (2-6 cm) on raised drying beds. These are almost always used for high quality naturals, as they aid airflow around the coffee as it dries, enabling more even drying.

It is very important that coffees are sorted very carefully early on in the drying process, as all of the cherries quickly turn dark brown, making it impossible to separate under and overripe cherries. The cherries are turned frequently to avoid mold formation or over-fermentation, until they reach a moisture content of below 20%, and the outer cherry layer shrinks and blackens. This process takes between 2 and 4 weeks, depending on weather conditions.

CGLE17

CGLE17

Potosí CGLE17

Fresh varietal character

Varietal Series

Technical Data

Natural Process

Brew Guides

Guides

Equipment