On Saturday, August 17, it was our pleasure to have the Sales & Marketing Director of Colombia Cafe Granja La Esperanza, Mr. Camilo Hadad visited Belux Coffee Roasters to provide us a fun and informative coffee tasting!
The event started with a short video showing the beautiful scenery of the farms - Cerro Azul, Las Margaritas, Potosi, La Esperanza and Hawaii (all names of the farms they own) where farmers hand picked the red/ yellow cherries, coffee trees lined up along the mountain and the natural regional micro-climate that produces those excellent quality coffee.
He explained, as one of the most awarded and recognized coffee estates, the owner Rigoberto Herrera is third generation of a coffee grower family that started growing commercial coffee but has a goal to obtain the best cup of coffee. Thus introduced organic coffee in 2002 and started growing specialty coffee in 2007. To learn the best from the best, he went to Panama, rented a farm beside the famous Hacienda La Esmeralda and started growing Geisha coffee. In 2008, he won the first place of Best of Panama. Hence started his journey of bringing the first Geisha coffee to Colombia and found the best micro-climate and altitude to grow it. Ever since then, more and more baristas have specifically picked their beans for national and worldwide coffee championships. Just to name a few, the first place of 2019 Brewer's Cup championship in France, Singapore, Denmark all used Geisha coffee beans from Cafe Granja La Esperanza.
Four coffees were hand brewed during the coffee tasting -
1. Sudan Rume natural process - Discovered in 1942 in Boma Plateau, southeast of the Republic of Sudan. This semi-wild arabica variety produces a unique fragrance and aroma: Floral, vanilla, apricot, red fruits, chocolate. Taste and aftertaste: Blueberry, raspberry, citrus, spicy, very good sweetness, tartaric acidity, creamy body
2. Laurina natural process -
Also known as "Bourbon Pointu". Once the favorite of French King Louis XIV, this natural lower caffeine variety is floral and tea-like with bright acidity.
3. Geisha natural XO. process -
A new way of processing coffee that was introduced in 2018 by Cafe Granja, this natural XO process means putting whole coffee cherries in vacuumed sealed grainpro bag and then in a tank for 48 hours slow fermentation process. After the cherries are in the perfect fermented conditions, they are taken to a Silo where it starts the drying process and it takes from 3 to 4 days. It increase intensity of the flavor that are similar to XO cognac. Cafe Granja believes this is the best way to preserve and bring out the flavors of their Cerro Azul Geisha.
4. Mokka natural process -
A new variety that are available from Cafe Granja this year. The coffee trees look like small Christmas trees and produce coffee beans that are smaller than other varietals. Notes of maple syrup, Almonds and Cocoa.
Out of the four coffees, our guests chose Geisha XO. as their favorite. The deep and full body was just impressive. Cafe Granja also have a new processing method called Napoleon (new Anaerobic Natural Process) whereas coffee cherries are fermented for 166 hours. We will include this one in our future tasting events. Stay tune.
As a specialty coffee roasters, to find the most unique and exquisite coffee is our job and build partnership and direct-trade with specialty coffee farms is our goal. Since we first met up with Cafe Granja in Specialty Coffee Expo in 2018, we had have many conversation about carrying their fabulous product and finally we were able to airship their Geisha coffee and Geisha cascara tea in 2018/19 and become one of the specialty coffee roasters that carries their coffee. We look forward to even more great products from them in the future. Cheers.
