Inside Bruvi® Lab: Finca El Paraiso

Vanessa Feiwell • May 04, 2021 • 3 min read

Coffee Cherries

What's Happening in the Bruvi® Lab?

There is a lot of chatter at the Bruvi Lab today, and rightfully so, we are brewing an outstanding coffee from Finca El Paraiso in Colombia. Don’t get me wrong, we love and appreciate all specialty coffee, but this one has a little magic fairy dust on it that makes it extra special. The second it hits your lips, it has a sense of instant identity, quite unlike anything I’ve had before. It begins with a beautiful sweetness followed by an exciting punch in the mouth with exceptionally clear fruit flavors. Depending on which lot you get your hands on, you will taste anything from lychee to apricot, plum, and lime. These specialty coffees push the boundaries of what we think coffee can taste like. Surprisingly enough, I find the best thing about this coffee is not just the beauty of the cup but the interesting story behind it.

About the Specialty Coffee Grower: Finca El Paraiso

Picking Coffee Cherries

In my opinion, El Paraiso is one family’s gift to the specialty coffee world. A true team effort of a small family and a handful of employees that are delivering some of the highest quality and most sought-after coffees in the region. The operation all started in the late 2000s when Diego Samuel Bermùdez Tapia decided to try his hand at growing coffee and embarked on what would become a life changing journey. With a unique eye for solving the challenges he saw in the industry and a goal of incorporating innovative methods and technology to differentiate himself from the pack, he has made a name for himself and the farm. In just a short period of time, El Paraiso went from a no-name coffee grower to an award-winning regional producer recognized across the globe. 

What Makes This Coffee So Special?

Aside from strict attention to detail throughout the growing process and the use of a very hearty Colombian varietal, the most transformational variable is Diego’s experimental processing methods. He was one of the first in the region to use fermentation methods and has undoubtedly become one of the best in the world. His unique anaerobic processing delivers several highly distinct yet reproducible recipes, each that yields remarkable specialty coffee. It’s a mixture of different microorganisms and yeasts that are used to create various recipes, each of which seems to get better year after year. Its precision control over the entire fermentation process that allows Diego to consistently deliver outstanding coffees with almost no variance. This is what sets him aside from the rest. Additionally, Diego uses thermal shock, a process of hitting the beans with cold and warm water, which allows the beans to absorb every bit of those outstanding flavors and smells during processing.

Final Thoughts on Finca El Paraiso’s Specialty Coffee

Finca El Paraiso is what specialty coffee is all about. With no generational knowledge, just a passion for coffee, one family has been able to make waves in the specialty coffee industry. By pushing the limits of experimental processing and not being confined by coffee tradition, El Paraiso plays by their own rules and is changing the game. Most importantly, all this hard work is really paying off. Not only are the micro lots from El Paraiso delivering some of the highest prices in the region but with a supply that can’t meet the growing demand, they are now sourcing additional coffee cherries from neighboring farms. The entire region is benefitting from the excellence at El Paraiso and just when I think I’ve seen it all from them, they release a new coffee. I’m excited for whatever comes next!