Sidra

Potosí Sidra

A returning favourite for us, this is the fifth year we have purchased this natural Sidra lot, grown on Finca Potosí. Rigoberto Herrera was inspired to plant Sidra after a trip to Ecuador in 2016, where he visited the varietal’s origin, a large Ecuadorian research farm funded by Nestlé. Unlike many modern hybrids, it was created with the sole aim of creating a high quality cup profile, with the best aspects of both its parent varietals, the heavy sweet character of Bourbon, and the florals that Typica is so well known for. After the varietal’s explosion of popularity in Ecuador, 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.

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 distinct 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 open and closed tank fermentations to create incredible control over fermentation, 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 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.