Mandela Natural

Description

Tropical and tart, yet balanced. This cup opens with aromas of cherry, honeysuckle, and tamarind. When sipped, pink guava and hyacinth notes dominate, alongside smooth Swiss chocolate. The juicy body with golden kiwi sweetness is accompanied by pink grapefruit acidity, and the finish features roasted hazelnut and tamarind.

Details

Producer: Rigoberto Herrera
Farm: La Esperanza, Café Granja La Esperanza
Region: Valle del Cauca
Altitude: 1,430-1,760 masl | 4,692-5,774 feet
Varietal: Mandela
Process: Natural
Roast: Medium
Notes: Pink Grapefruit, Hyacinth, Swiss Chocolate

The Story

Mandela is a Café Granja La Esperanza cultivar that resulted from multi-phased cross-breeding with the goal of improving flavor potential and cup quality along with resilience and productivity.

High-quality Colombian Caturra was crossed with Timor for Coffee Leaf Rust resistance, and then crossed again with Ethiopian landraces including Sudan Rume. The best-performing offspring were then selected and the varietal stabilized, with the resulting trees exhibiting both bronze and green tips.

This layered, lively cup is a real treat—a testament to CGLE's continuing innovation and focus on quality. The freshly-harvested cherries are fermented for 36 hours prior to processing, after which they rest in a warm temperature-controlled silo for 48 hours before being dried on a solar drying bed for 15 days.

Direct Trade

In 2012, Café Granja La Esperanza achieved a “Triple Crown,” landing in 2nd, 3rd, and 7th place in the SCAA’s Coffees of the Year competition. We've been proud to partner with a producer who values experimentation with rare and difficult varieties—the results over the years have always been worth it!

Text from PT's Coffee's listing.