Lychee Nectar - Colombia

Diego Samuel Bermúdez Tapia founded Finca El Paraíso in 2008 as a small family project in Piendamó, Cauca. Today, he runs the farm alongside his brother Alex and a team of around a dozen people, cultivating three hectares and several nearby plots.

For Diego, coffee processing is less about tradition and more about precision. He operates an on-site laboratory where he isolates local microorganisms, monitors fermentation through temperature and pH, and develops controlled post-harvest protocols designed to deliver consistent and highly expressive coffees.

This experimental approach first gained international attention in 2015, when the intensity and unusual character of his coffees led some competitors to suspect that flavourings had been added. In fact, the remarkable flavours are created entirely through controlled fermentation and the transformation of sugars within the coffee cherry.

At 1,930 masl, Finca El Paraíso benefits from the cool, humid conditions of Cauca’s Andean foothills. Slow cherry maturation allows the fruit to develop complex sugars, while the region’s climate and innovative producers have made Cauca a hub for experimental coffee processing.

The coffee undergoes anaerobic fermentation in sealed, oxygen-free tanks, where Diego introduces carefully selected yeasts and bacteria to guide the development of specific aromatic compounds.

Following fermentation, the coffee undergoes a thermal shock treatment, alternating between hot and cold water to halt microbial activity and help preserve the developed aromatics. It is then dried slowly at low temperatures using dehumidified, recirculated air, protecting the coffee's delicate floral and fruit characteristics from excessive heat and oxidation.

The result is a highly expressive coffee that showcases what can happen when exceptional raw material meets science, experimentation and meticulous control.

• Region: Cauca
• Country: Colombia
• Elevation: 1,930 masl
• Variety: Geisha, Laurina, Bourbon
• Process: Thermal Shock Anaerobic