Cafe Granja La Esperanza (CGLE) was founded in 1945 by Juan Antonio Herrera at Potosí Farm. His sons, Rigoberto and Luis, later took over and expanded the family’s coffee operations. In 2007, Rigoberto had the opportunity to lease and manage La Carleida, a coffee farm in Boquete, Panama. Just one year later, he won first place in the Best of Panama competition. Following this success, he brought Geisha seeds back to Colombia, marking a new chapter in CGLE’s history. With a strong focus on quality, innovation, and sustainable cultivation, CGLE has grown into a globally recognized producer of high-end specialty coffee. Today, the group operates five principal farms in Colombia: Cerro Azul, Las Margaritas, La Esperanza, Potosí, and Hawaii.
Las Margaritas is one of CGLE’s flagship farms, located in Caicedonia, Valle del Cauca, Colombia, at an altitude of 1,570–1,850 meters above sea level. Covering 33.8 hectares and home to more than 94,000 coffee trees, the farm cultivates an exceptional range of varieties, including Geisha, CGLE-17 (a Geisha × Caturra hybrid), Red Bourbon, Sidra, Pacamara, and Sudan Rume. Its cool climate, consistent rainfall, and meticulous farm management create ideal conditions for producing outstanding coffees, with lots regularly achieving scores from 84 to 95+ and appearing in prestigious international competitions such as the World Brewers Cup.
