Description
Grape Soda (Campo Hermoso)
What It Is
- Grape Soda is an experimental, highly acclaimed coffee from Finca Campo Hermoso (Quindío, Colombia), produced by Edwin Noreña.
- It’s famous for a “Grape Soda Bomb” sensory profile — intense red grape and candy-like fruit flavors — achieved through careful, winemaker-style processing rather than any artificial flavoring.
Key Characteristics
- Flavor profile: Intense aroma of red grapes and caramel; tasting notes include grape lemonade or “Grape Hubba Bubba” bubblegum, plus elderflower, propolis, and a juicy citrus acidity.
- Variety: Often Caturra or Castillo.
- Processing: Carbonic Maceration (CM) combined with Black Honey drying — cherries ferment in a low-oxygen, CO2-rich environment to build complex fruity esters.
- Co-fermentation: During CM, grape mosso (must) or other fruit extracts are sometimes introduced so grape compounds become integrated into the bean, deepening the grape-forward character.
- Producer: Edwin Noreña — fourth-generation grower, Q-Grader, Cup of Excellence judge, and a pioneer of “high-intervention” processes that borrow from winemaking.
Why It Stands Out
- The grape-like intensity comes from biochemical fermentation and co-fermentation techniques, not added flavoring.
- High-intervention methods create layered aromatics and a candy-fruit profile that’s rare and polarizing — delightful to some, intense to others.
Provenance & Ethics - Short Note
- Campo Hermoso’s reputation comes from meticulous farm practices and transparency. When sourcing experimental lots like this, seek roasters who verify farm-level traceability and pay appropriate premiums for innovation.
