Edwin Noreña – The innovative farmer
Edwin Noreña is the coffee designer behind Finca Campo Hermoso, Quindio, Colombia. He’s an innovative farmer who is changing the traditional way of processing coffee.
Circasia, Quindio, Colombia
1750-1900 m.a.s.l
Caturra, Colombia, Castillo, Pink Bourbon, Red Bourbon, Yellow Bourbon
Honey carbonic maceration – Infusion
Finca Campo Hermoso, located in Circasia, Quindio, Colombia, is a 25-hectare farm known for its unique experimental Bourbon and Caturra coffees. Led by Edwin Noreña, a fourth-generation farmer and coffee innovator, the farm produces exceptional and distinctive profiles. With 20 years of coffee production experience, Edwin’s dedication to specialty coffee is evident. He’s dedicated the last 10 years to studying and experimenting with coffee.
Edwin’s high-quality coffees have been recognized in international competitions worldwide. Besides farming, Edwin serves as a coffee processing consultant, Q-grader, and head judge for the Colombian Cup of Excellence competition. Collaborating with Edwin has been an exciting journey, and our team and clients are thrilled by the exceptional flavors of his coffee. In January 2023, we had the pleasure to visit his farm and cup a lot of interesting profiles with his him and his collaborator.
He has developed a unique co-fermentation technique inspired by the craft beer industry. By adding compounds like hops and dehydrated fruits to the fermentation tanks, Edwin creates distinct flavors that complement the natural fermentation process. This technique, involving two fermentations and a careful selection of cherries, produces exceptional distinctive profiles.
More about his unique co-fermentation
Edwin not only uses his own cherries, but he also buys them from other farmers. He meticulously selects cherries with a minimum Brix level of 23, placing them in 30kg plastic bags for 24 hours. The initial fermentation, already underway, is followed by a 72-hour carbonic maceration with mosto (the juice obtained from compressing coffee cherries) in a large tank. The resulting liquid, collected through a valve, becomes the foundation of his co-fermentation process. After de-pulping, the cherries are transferred to smaller tanks along with the liquid and other additional compounds, such as dehydrated fruits, fruit juice, and mosto from grapes. The coffee is then sun-dried on African beds for 25 days until reaching a humidity level of 10.5%. Following humidity stabilization for eight days in a warehouse, it is stored in grain-pro bags.
Edwin Noreña takes a different path compared to traditional coffee farmers. Unlike using large amounts of water in the coffee processing, Edwin’s method eliminates the need for water intervention. Additionally, he utilizes coffee husk (cascara) as organic compost and fertilizer, promoting sustainability in his practices. Furthermore, he’s transitioning the entire coffee processing plant to solar energy. His commitment to eco-friendly solutions and resource optimization sets him apart in the industry.
Cupping at Finca Campo Hermoso
Infusion tanks
Cupping with Edwin during our last visit
Edwin with infusion tanks behind
Ronald de Hommel, The Coffee Quest Colombia visiting farmers
Drying coffee
Carbonic Maceration
Workers at Finca Campo Hermoso
1st step of post-harvest process
Fermentation tanks
Collecting cherries at finca campo hermoso
Edwin at Finca Campo Hermoso
Edwin Noreña and Ronald de Hommel
Drying patios at Finca Campo Hermoso
Valves to collect the mosto
Edwin Noreña - head judge at Colombian Cup of Excellence
Visiting Edwin Noreña
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Finca El Corozal – Example of perseverance
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