Samuel Diego Bermudez (Finca El Paraiso)

Description

Tastes Like: Lime, Plum, Lavender

Origin: El Paraiso, Cauca, Colombia

Variety: Laurina

Producer: Samuel Diego Bermudez

Elevation: 1930 masl

Process: Zeo

About Finca El Paraiso

Finca El Paraiso is Samuel Diego Bermudez’s coffee project in Cauca, Colombia. He began growing coffee on family land while studying agricultural enterprise management, then developed his work through INDESTEC, a company focused on coffee processing technology. Fermentation research and equipment design have become central to the team’s approach to producing consistent, distinctive coffees.

The coffees in this selection come from high-elevation growing conditions in Cauca, where frequent rainfall makes careful post-harvest handling especially important. El Paraiso combines cultivation with controlled fermentation and drying, adjusting those stages to suit each variety and named profile.

Variety

Laurina, also known as Bourbon Pointu, is a naturally occurring mutation of Bourbon with a compact growth habit and distinctive narrow seeds. It is known for having less caffeine than many other Arabica varieties, although it is not decaffeinated coffee. In this lot, the variety is paired with ZEO drying to explore a different way of preserving its aromatic character.

Processing

ZEO, also called zeodration, uses freezing and vacuum drying assisted by zeolites, porous minerals that help remove water vapor. Selected Laurina cherries are cleaned with ozone and rapidly frozen to approximately -40°C over four hours.

The frozen cherries then enter a low-pressure drying chamber, where ice changes directly into vapor through sublimation. Zeolites help remove that moisture from the system. This approach emphasizes low-temperature dehydration and aromatic preservation rather than a prolonged fermentation stage.

Text from Hydrangea Coffee Roasters' listing.