José Gomez

José Ignacio Gómez is a second-generation coffee grower and the current owner of El Paraíso farm. He, along with his father, acquired the farm, which had previously been owned by his uncle, Mr. Franco Gómez. El Paraíso farm, established during the last decade of the 20th century, was one of the first in the Buesaco region to grow coffee. Under José's leadership, the farm has become a key player in both the local economy and coffee production, specializing in varieties such as Gesha, Caturra, Bourbon , Java and Castillo. José has played a significant role in modernizing the farm, implementing agricultural technology and innovative machinery to improve coffee processing.

Jose Gomez’s farm is located in Vereda El Naranjal near Buesaco in Nariño. The farm receives an average annual rainfall of 1,800 mm. Several years ago, Jose constructed a custom solar dryer, featuring three tiers of raised beds beneath a plastic roof. The dryer is strategically positioned on the farm to maximize sunlight exposure for drying the coffee while allowing the farm’s crosswinds to flow through, helping regulate the temperature inside. Carlos Alberto, the farm manager and childhood friend of Jose, oversees the drying process, ensuring the coffee is rotated as needed for optimal results.

José received the Caturra coffee seeds he grows at El Paraíso from an agronomist at Cenicafé. Following soil testing, they discovered that the soil composition was similar to that of Pablo Guerrero’s El Obraje, which made it easier to develop an effective nutrition plan for the plants. After just two years of implementing this plan, the trees began producing cherries with higher concentrations of quality, with 70% of the cherries reaching full ripeness, making the harvest significantly more efficient.

The process begins with selective manual harvesting, where cherries are picked at their optimal stage of ripeness, determined by their color. At this point, the mucilage contains its highest concentration of sugars, which is essential for flavor development during processing. After harvesting, the whole cherries are placed in sealed plastic tanks to begin fermentation. This stage occurs without oxygen or light, creating an anaerobic environment where CO₂ production, a rise in temperature, and a gradual decrease in pH naturally take place. The fermentation lasts approximately 160 hours and is carried out with the cherries kept fully intact. Once fermentation is complete, the cherries are washed and passed through a flotation system. This density-based separation removes lower-quality or defective grains, ensuring that only the best cherries continue to the next step. Finally, the coffee cherries are transferred to raised sunbeds, where they undergo a slow and even drying process lasting around 34 days.

In the cup, you’ll find a deeply layered sweetness and a round mouthfeel that reminds us of a chocolate brownie. Followed by sweet black cherry and fig notes, that adds some complexity to this amazing coffee.