Colombia El Paraiso Red Plum

Renowned producer Diego Bermudez brings us this unique process coffee from his innovative farm near the Los Arados village in south-western Colombia. El Paraiso is one of 5 farms that comprise the family run coffee production company Finca El Paraìso. Their coffee is grown in and around Pendamo in the Cauca Basin. This high elevation river valley is part of the mountainous Andean region and boasts rich volcanic soil and a temperate humid climate.

Diego was one of the first coffee producers in Colombia to experiment with fermentation by adding different types of microorganisms and yeasts. Since 2008, Diego and his family have worked together to create a range of high-quality coffees with unparalleled consistency.

Using his knowledge of microbiology and his singular yeast-mediated biocatalyst technique, Diego has developed more than 10 distinct protocols, or recipes. This scientific approach not only results in coffees with unique sensory profiles, but guarantees that they can be consistently replicated year after year.

All processing at Finca El Paraìso starts with a strict regimen of cleanliness and control. Carefully picked and sorted ripe cherries are washed thoroughly with filtered water to remove any microorganisms present on the skins. A carefully developed mix of new microorganisms, different for each recipe, is then introduced into the fermentation process.

Though this process is called Red "Plum", no additional fruits have been added. The culture recipe only uses components from different parts of the coffee tree. Cascara extract, made from the dried husks of red coffee cherries, is mixed with wine yeast and mucilage to make the Red Plum culture medium. The coffee and the medium are put together in a sealed container and pressure is applied for a set time.

After fermentation, the coffee undergoes a procedure that Diego developed called "Thermal Shock". It is washed in hot water and then immediately washed in cold water. Finally, the coffee undergoes a 34 hour controlled drying process. Utilizing a technology developed by the Finca El Paraìso team, air recirculation is kept at a consistent 35 degrees Celsius with a relative humidity of 25%.

El Paraíso is committed to ensuring a sustainable future for coffee. They were the first farm in Colombia to treat all the water that enters and leaves their processing plant. Their current project is merging sustainability initiatives with advanced coffee processing technologies into a co-production model. The intent is to reduce the environmental impact caused by artisanal coffee production and help advance sustainability agendas for coffee companies, roasters, and consumers.