Producer Café Granja La Esperanza
Varietal Sidra
Process Natural

Cherries with character
Fermented in stainless steel fermentation tanks for around 48 hours, with the temperature never exceeding 30°C.
This Sidra varietal brings a rich heavy sweetness to the cup, underpinning the crisp florals and wild tropical fruit flavours created by the careful natural process.
SidraInnovation
Our visit to Café Granja La Esperanza in November 2019 only served to increase our appreciation of their incredible drive for quality in coffee. The team at Fincas Potosí and Las Margaritas, both of which lie just outside the town of Caicedonia in northern Valle del Cauca, are constant innovators, incessantly searching for incremental gains in quality through new processes, varietals and farming techniques. This new plot of Sidra is a great example of this, inspired by founder Rigoberto’s trip to Northern Ecuador in 2016. Here he observed Sidra, a varietal gaining popularity on quality-focussed farms in the relatively wealthy northern regions of Ecuador, surrounding the capital of Quito. Originally created on a large Ecuadorian research farm funded by Nestlé, Sidra, or Bourbon Sidra as it is often known, was created by manually crossing Red Bourbon and Typica plants. Unlike many modern hybrids, it was created with the sole aim of creating a high quality cup profile, with both the heavy sweet character of Bourbon, and the florals that Typica is well known for. Nestlé offered this varietal for free to farmers in the region in exchange for feedback, causing a surge in popularity within Ecuador initially, but soon also in neighbouring Colombia. Rigoberto sourced Sidra seeds and oversaw the planting of a nursery in October 2016. These plants were taken to the fields of Potosí in April 2017, and now number almost 4000, spread across a 1.5 hectare plot high on the Potosí ridge. The plant has physical characteristics very similar to Sudan Rume, and produces well in the warm and humid climate of northern Valle del Cauca.
Over the past few years, the quality team at Granja have been building their expectations, experimenting with post-harvest treatments for Sidra, acutely aware of the huge potential of this varietal in their capable hands. After having purchased the first export of the Sidra last year, we are more than excited for its return this year. This lot, like last year’s, was processed using a natural method with Granja’s trademark level of attention to detail. Carefully hand-picked cherries are first fermented in stainless steel fermentation tanks for around 48 hours, with the temperature controlled so it never exceeds 30°C. This allows time for complexity and wild flavour characteristics to build within the coffee before it is sent to mechanical driers for 48 hours, removing much of the moisture from the cherries and almost completely halting fermentation. The cherries are then dried slowly and evenly in solar driers over approximately 2 weeks, until they reach a moisture content of around 11%. This is followed by a resting of at least a month in climate controlled warehouses, allowing moisture content to stabilise and flavours to increase in intensity. During our visit in November 2019 we witnessed the wet mill at Las Margaritas in action, and were very impressed by the systems, control and cleanliness we saw. Heading back to the cupping lab in Caicedonia afterward, we were stunned by the clear floral aromas and juicy ripe flavours of this Sidra, and just knew we had to bring some home to Denmark. After the response to this initial lot last year, we were excited to sample this year’s harvest, and are happy to report that it doesn't disappoint.


Another pick of the recent harvest from our dear friends, the craftsmen at Café Granja La Esperanza.
Café Granja La EsperanzaThe family business
The Herrera family purchased Finca Potosí in 1945 and planted several varieties that were unusual for Colombia at the time, including yellow and red Bourbon. This started the Granja tradition of experimentation, leading to recognition from other farmers in the Cauca Valley. The years that followed were very productive, and though each of the 14 children took their share of the farm work, two brothers took particular interest in coffee production, and in the late 1990’s, Rigoberto and Luis took over the family business. They purchased more small farms to add to their portfolio, and began the process of converting all of their farms to use organic practices. They also looked outside Colombia for further insight, and jumped at the opportunity to lease a small farm in Panama. Rigoberto moved, and his years of producing experience were all too obvious, their lot of Geisha won the Best of Panama within 2 years. When Rigoberto returned to Granja, he brought back not only experience, but Panamanian Geisha seeds. These seeds were the foundation for the next stage of growth, beginning to chase extraordinary flavour profiles and the super high end specialty market. The experience of bringing a Panamanian varietal to Colombia was pivotal to Granja in their endeavour to adapt more exotic varietals to the Colombian soil, showcasing a wide view of the Cauca Valley terroir. They have also begun to experiment with unique processing, using tank fermentation to create incredible control over initial in-cherry fermentations, for both their washed and natural coffees. They also use mechanical drying extensively, allowing very tight control over length and degree of drying. This type of fermentation, along with mechanical ‘washing’, results in very low water usage, compared especially to traditional washed processing. This is another of Granja’s core values, focussing on sustainability. They have also worked very hard on maintaining local floral and fauna, using waste products from the farm to fire their mechanical driers, and switching to organic farming methods.
Technical Data
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Harvest
Process Method
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.
Brew Guides
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Opening Hours
East Village Bakery - NYC
152 2nd Ave
10003 New York
United States
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Mon - Fri: 7:00 - 18:00
Sat - Sun: 8:00 - 18:00
Soho - NYC
284 Lafayette St
10012 New York
United States
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Sat - Sun: 8:00 - 18:00
Graven - Aarhus
Graven 20
8000 Aarhus C
Denmark
Opening Hours:
Mon - Sat: 8:00 - 18:00
Sun: 9:00 - 17:00
Borggade Bakery - Aarhus
Borggade 4F
8000 Aarhus C
Denmark
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Mon - Sat: 7:00 - 18:00
Sun: 7:00 - 17:00
Møntergade - Copenhagen
Møntergade 3A
1116 Copenhagen K
Denmark
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Mon - Fri: 8:00 - 18:00
Sat - Sun: 9:00 - 17:00
Roastery - Copenhagen
Marguerite Vibys Plads 8
2000 Frederiksberg
Denmark
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Mon - Fri: 8:00 - 17:00
Sat - Sun: Closed
Talad Noi - Bangkok
813 Charoen Krung Rd, Talat Noi, Samphanthawong
10100 Bangkok
Thailand
Opening Hours:
Mon - Fri: 8:00 - 17:00
Sat - Sun: 8:00 - 17:00
Ari - Bangkok
304 Phahonyothin Road, Samsen Nai, Phaya Thai
10400 Bangkok
Thailand
Opening Hours:
Mon - Fri: 08:00 - 17:00
Sat - Sun: 08:00 - 17:00
152 2nd Ave
10003 New York
United States
Opening Hours:
Mon - Fri: 7:00 - 18:00
Sat - Sun: 8:00 - 18:00
284 Lafayette St
10012 New York
United States
Opening Hours:
Mon - Fri: 7:00 - 18:00
Sat - Sun: 8:00 - 18:00
Graven 20
8000 Aarhus C
Denmark
Opening Hours:
Mon - Sat: 8:00 - 18:00
Sun: 9:00 - 17:00
Borggade 4F
8000 Aarhus C
Denmark
Opening Hours:
Mon - Sat: 7:00 - 18:00
Sun: 7:00 - 17:00
Møntergade 3A
1116 Copenhagen K
Denmark
Opening Hours:
Mon - Fri: 8:00 - 18:00
Sat - Sun: 9:00 - 17:00
Marguerite Vibys Plads 8
2000 Frederiksberg
Denmark
Opening Hours:
Mon - Fri: 8:00 - 17:00
Sat - Sun: Closed
813 Charoen Krung Rd, Talat Noi, Samphanthawong
10100 Bangkok
Thailand
Opening Hours:
Mon - Fri: 8:00 - 17:00
Sat - Sun: 8:00 - 17:00
304 Phahonyothin Road, Samsen Nai, Phaya Thai
10400 Bangkok
Thailand
Opening Hours:
Mon - Fri: 08:00 - 17:00
Sat - Sun: 08:00 - 17:00
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Marguerite Vibys Pl. 1
2000 Frederiksberg
Denmark
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Marguerite Vibys Pl. 1
2000 Frederiksberg
Denmark
Have a question?
Marguerite Vibys Pl. 1
2000 Frederiksberg
Denmark
Have a question?
Please write us in the chat.
Marguerite Vibys Pl. 1
2000 Frederiksberg
Denmark
Have a question?