Nestor Lasso - Ombligon Natural

MEET THE PRODUCER | With one of his coffees taking on the world stage in Busan this weekend, Nestor Lasso is really having a moment in specialty coffee. At ages 23 and 25 years old, Nestor and his brother, Adrian, are some of the youngest players in the game right now! They partnered with a fellow son-of-a-coffee-farmer, Jhoan Vergara, to create the farm known as El Diviso, where today's Ombligon lot was grown. Though their parents were commodity coffee farmers, Nestor & co. have taken a profound interest in specialty coffee production, in part because of its potential for real economic development - but also because they each have a passion for coffee production in general and experimental processes in particular. By combining their knowledge and experience to improve production quality, Nestor, Adrian, and Jhoan hope to help other farmers and producers see that coffee is "a much more noble product than perhaps it seems."

TRUST THE PROCESS | After being handpicked at peak ripeness, the coffee cherries are oxidized for twelve hours at a controlled temperature of no more than 25 degrees Celsius. Then, it's off to their first round of fermentation in an anaerobic environment for 50 hours. After this, Nestor and his team repeat those steps, placing the coffee in an open-air tank for a second round of oxidation (20 hours) and then another round of anaerobic fermentation (30 hours). Lastly, they undergo submerged fermentation with the musto collected during oxidation. Finally, the cherries are placed in a masquesina to dry until a moisture content of 11% is achieved.

TAKE A SIP | When hot, all we can see is RED as we sip this coffee. Think: strawberry, red grape, cherry juice, and every red candy you've ever tasted. It's the reddest of red coffees at this temperature, with a big body and bright, vibrant acidity. 

As the coffee approaches a pleasantly warm temperature, it becomes more fresh, vibrant, and acidic (like tartaric and malic acid). Even as those red flavors prevail (cherry juice, pomegranate, and more red candy), tropical flavors emerge as well, leaving us with a sip that's mouthwatering and sweet.

When cool, acidity (like citric acid) reaches its peak while that big, juicy body is sustained. Cherry notes remain persistent throughout, and you can perceive them here as cherry juice or cherry jam. The cup is delightfully tropical (like passionfruit) and wine-like at this temperature, reminding us of one of our very favorite red bevvies: sangria.

Taken as a complete cup, this coffee tastes like intense red fruit, complex citrus, and tropical passionfruit. It's a truly special coffee which we feel so honored to sip and to share with you - and when you've slurped the last sip from your cup, we think you'll agree with us and a certain international pop star: loving it was RED.

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Origin | Bruselas, Huila, Colombia

Producer | Nestor Lasso

Farm | El Diviso

Process | Thermal Shock Natural

Variety | Ombligon

Elevation | 1750 masl