Variety: Gesha Process: XO Region: Cauca Altitude: 1752-1941 meters above sea level Tasting notes: Strawberry, pineapple, lemongrass, violet, nutmeg and cognac. Producer information: Café Granja La Esperanza was born with the coffee-growing tradition of a family from the Cauca Valley. Its story begins on an original farm: Finca Potosí, acquired in 1945, when the family decided to plant new varieties (Yellow Bourbon, Red Bourbon and Caturra) alongside the traditional Typica plantations. Over generations, two of the sons, Rigoberto Herrera and Luis Herrera, showed a special interest in improving coffee production and quality. In the late 1990s, they committed to organic farming, expanding their original farm and acquiring new lands, such as the farm called La Esperanza. That impulse marked the beginning of a profound transformation: from a traditional crop focused on volume, towards a specialty, artisanal coffee, with high standards of quality, traceability and care of the terroir. Today, Granja La Esperanza operates several farms, each with its own microclimate, soils, altitude, and unique characteristics. Among them are: Cerro Azul, Las Margaritas, La Esperanza, Potosí, and others. For example, Cerro Azul, the most emblematic farm for premium varieties, has altitudes between 1,700 and 2,000 meters above sea level, temperatures between 15-21 °C, volcanic soils, abundant annual rainfall and very high humidity, ideal conditions for high-altitude crops and coffees with a delicate profile. It was precisely in Cerro Azul that the Gesha variety was first introduced in Colombia, from seeds brought from Panama: a milestone that marked a turning point in the history of the farm. Since then, thanks to that concept of terroir + varied microclimates + experimentation, the farm produces everything from traditional varieties (Bourbon, Caturra) to exotic varieties, each grown in the most suitable environment. The essence of Granja La Esperanza combines: - A family heritage of half a century of coffee cultivation, tradition and local identity. - A serious commitment to quality, sustainability and specialization: they adopted organic production, rigorously select cherries, employ fermentation and drying controls, and research processes suitable for each variety. - A global vision: they started exporting specialty coffees in 2003 and today they supply international markets, with traceability, sensory consistency and exhaustive process control. This approach has allowed their coffees, and especially their Geisha, to be recognized in international competitions, auctions, and world rankings: not as just another "Colombian coffee," but as a benchmark for specialty coffee. In 2007, after their time in Panama (where they managed the "La Carleida" farm), they won first place in the Best of Panama competition with their Geisha, marking the beginning of a new era for the farm in Colombia. Their Geisha from Cerro Azul and other varieties have been ranked among the best coffees in the world in international rankings. Currently, the farm exports high-end coffees to dozens of countries, the result of a combination of tradition, innovation and rigorous quality control from cultivation to the cup. About the Geisha XO lot: what it is, its soul and its reason for being The Geisha XO lot represents the culmination of generations of effort. Thanks to the high-altitude terroir of Cerro Azul and rigorous post-harvest handling, exclusive micro-lots are produced, designed not for volume, but for quality, history, and elegance. The name “XO” is no coincidence: it denotes differentiated processes, careful fermentation, and a profile that strives for the sublime. With this coffee, Granja La Esperanza delivers not just a cup, but a journey to its mountains, its family history, and its fertile land. These types of batches, rarely available consistently, speak of a signature coffee, of excellence, of a deep commitment to each bean. Café Granja La Esperanza is not just another coffee farm. It's a story of transformation: from a traditional coffee farm, like many in Colombia, to a global benchmark for specialty coffee. It's a family that decided to innovate, learn, and commit to quality, the environment, biodiversity, and a coffee with identity. Their diverse farms, meticulous fieldwork, respect for nature, and obsession with quality have turned their microlots like Geisha XO into small jewels sought after all over the world.