Nestor Lasso - Thermal Shock Caturra

MEET THE PRODUCERS | At ages 24 and 26 years old, Nestor and Adrian Lasso are some of the youngest players in the game. Six years ago, they took over the family farm and set their sights on specialty coffee. They soon teamed up with Jhoan Vergara, a relative and fellow son of a coffee farmer, to create the farm El Diviso, where the trio continuously seeks to improve processing protocols and flavor outcomes. 

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 first may seem." One way in which they have endeavored to do this is through the Community Project. The trio buys up coffee cherry from various producers in and around Acevedo, working with different levels of quality across the supply chain. They blend the lots and process them at their wet mill at El Diviso, and then they sell the result to roasters like us.

TRUST THE PROCESS | After being picked at peak ripeness, the cherries are delivered to the wet mill at El Diviso and sorted for quality. Individual lots are then blended together before undergoing anaerobic fermentation with a mild thermal shock protocol. The coffee is thoroughly rinsed, floated for quality control, and spread out on raised beds to dry until optimal moisture content is achieved. 

TAKE A SIP | Unlike many of his other thermal shock experiments, Nestor had a fairly light touch on this coffee, as far as processing is concerned. The result tastes like an elevated washed Caturra, boasting sweet citrus and stone fruit notes (like nectarine and red cherry) and brimming with a brown sugar-like sweetness. It’s the sort of coffee you nerd out about with your coffee friends OR take home to your grandmother — at either table, everyone will agree it’s delicious.

Origin | Pitalito, Huila, Colombia

Producers | Nestor, Lasso, Adrian Lasso, Jhoan Vergara, & numerous outgrowers

Wet Mill | Piñas Blancas

Process | Thermal Shock Washed

Variety | Caturra

Elevation | 1600-1750 MASL

This Caturra from the Pitalito region of Huila, Colombia showcases the work of producers Nestor Lasso, Adrian Lasso, and Jhoan Vergara. Grown between 1600–1750 masl, the lot was processed using a thermal shock washed method—a technique designed to enhance clarity and brightness in the cup. Black & White Coffee Roasters has brought out prominent notes of sweet citrus, stone fruit, and nectarine alongside red cherry and brown sugar, characteristic of a coffee emphasizing fruit-forward, balanced sweetness.