COLOMBIA TRES DRAGONES

The farm that started it all, where Blanca Ligia Correa and Juan Antonio Herrera worked.

In 1945 they introduced Yellow Bourbon, Red Bourbon and Caturra to the existing Typica and Café Granja La Esperanza was born.

22 hectares of the farm is forest land, and with the 52 hectares dedicated to coffee, it’s the biggest farm in the area. It lies across the sweet, misty valley from Las Margaritas and handles the dry milling for both farms.

The three mechanical driers that it is also home to set fire to the farmhouse in 2018 (no one was hurt) and earned them the nickname of Tres Dragones, or three dragons.

Experimentation is also carried out on the farm, currently with some mother/father geisha breeding trials as well as varieties being field tested before larger scale production is carried out.

Cherry Selection: Cherries are harvested at peak ripeness and sorted via flotation to retain only the densest fruit. Brix levels are measured to assess sugar concentration before fermentation.
First Fermentation: A 24-hour aerobic fermentation initiates enzymatic activity and sets the foundation for flavour development.
Second Fermentation: Cherries undergo a 72-hour anaerobic fermentation, enhancing complexity and deepening aromatic structure.
Drying and Stabilisation:Cherries are dried in mechanical dryers at a steady 38 °C for 8–12 days. They are then stored in climate-controlled conditions at 18–19 °C to retain freshness and protect aromatic integrity.

Café Granja La Esperanza began in 1945 when Blanca Ligia Correa and Juan Antonio Herrera established the Potosí farm in Valle del Cauca, Colombia. At that time, Typica was the dominant varietal, but Juan Antonio introduced Yellow Bourbon, Red Bourbon and Caturra, laying the foundation for innovation in Colombian coffee. The couple raised fourteen children, all of whom contributed to the farm’s growth. Two sons, Rigoberto and Luis Herrera, later became central figures in transforming the family business into a leader in speciality coffee.

As the family expanded its expertise, they acquired a second farm in Trujillo to increase organic coffee production under the La Esperanza name. A defining moment came in 2007 when Rigoberto leased La Carleida farm in Boquete, Panama. The following year, he won first place at Best of Panama with the Geisha varietal. This achievement inspired the introduction of Geisha seeds in Colombia, marking the start of Café Granja La Esperanza’s focus on ultra-speciality coffees and rare varietals.

Today, Café Granja La Esperanza operates four farms: Potosí, La Esperanza, Cerro Azul, and Las Margaritas. Each farm is located in unique microclimates that allow for exceptional quality and traceability. Their approach combines traditional cultivation with scientific precision, including controlled fermentation processes and rigorous quality control through their own laboratory. These methods have earned the company global recognition for producing speciality coffee with distinctive profiles and consistently high scores.

Over the years, Café Granja La Esperanza has achieved numerous milestones, including more than fifty international awards and recognition in major competitions such as the World Barista Championship. They pioneered Colombia’s first private coffee auction in 2021 and set a record price of $2,194 per kilogram in their fifth virtual auction in 2025. These achievements reflect a commitment to innovation, sustainability and excellence in the speciality coffee industry.

Café Granja La Esperanza’s story is one of heritage, vision and continuous improvement. From its beginnings in Valle del Cauca to its position as a global reference in Colombian speciality coffee, the company remains dedicated to producing exceptional coffees while supporting ethical practices and community development.