Finca La Esperanza: three generations above the clouds

At 1,750 metres the mornings start in the fog and the cherries ripen slowly. That slowness is the secret: denser beans, more sugar, a cup that tastes of fruit instead of wood.

Why it works

The family picks only ripe cherries, in four or five passes per tree. It costs time and hands, and it is the reason their lots score above 86 points.

Step by step

1. Selective picking, four or five passes per tree.
2. Fermentation in tanks for 36 hours.
3. Drying on raised beds under a parabolic roof.

We do not sell coffee, we sell the work of a whole year.

We spent a harvest week with the Rojas family in Pitalito, from the first pick to the drying beds.