Colombia — Nestor Lasso El Diviso Caturra (Thermal Shock)

Tastes Like — 🍊 Sweet Citrus • 🍑 Nectarine • 🍒 Red Cherry • 🍬 Brown Sugar

DETAILS

• Producer: Nestor Lasso
• Farm: El Diviso
• Region: Pitalito, Huila, Colombia
• Varietal: Caturra
• Process: Thermal Shock

INTRO

From Nestor Lasso at El Diviso — a sweet, easy-going Thermal Shock Caturra from one of Huila's most celebrated and internationally recognised producers. Where Nestor's Typica Mejorado and Bourbon Ají lots push into exotic and complex territory, this Caturra is approachable and crowd-pleasing — sweet citrus and nectarine up front, red cherry brightness through the middle, and a warm brown sugar finish that ties everything together. In the cup: sweet citrus, nectarine, red cherry, and brown sugar.

THE PRODUCER

Nestor Lasso is a third-generation coffee producer from Pitalito, Huila whose relentless pursuit of excellence and mastery of fermentation science have earned him international recognition and a devoted following among the world's most demanding specialty roasters. At El Diviso, alongside his brother Adrián and in partnership with Cata Export and Jhoan Vergara, Nestor has developed cutting-edge processing protocols that have taken Colombian coffee to new heights — earning 1st place at the Brewers Cup in Ireland and competition recognition across Europe and beyond.

Caturra — a natural Bourbon mutation first identified in Brazil between 1915 and 1918 — has been a cornerstone of Colombian specialty coffee for decades. Clean, sweet, and reliably structured, it provides the ideal canvas for the Thermal Shock process to build the fruit sweetness and citrus brightness that define this cup without the varietal asserting itself over the processing.

THE PROCESS

The Thermal Shock process at El Diviso involves:

🍒 Hand-picking — Caturra cherries selectively harvested at peak ripeness 🧪 Fermentation — Beans fermented through a controlled fermentation sequence 🌡️ Thermal shock — A rapid temperature change applied at a critical stage of fermentation — alternating hot and cold water at precise intervals — creating a cellular stress response that fixes and enhances aromatic compounds in the bean ☀️ Drying — Dried to optimal moisture content after processing

The thermal shock is the defining step — by applying a rapid temperature change at precisely the right moment in the fermentation sequence, Nestor fixes the volatile aromatic compounds that would otherwise dissipate during drying, permanently setting the sweet citrus brightness, nectarine stone fruit sweetness, red cherry vibrancy, and brown sugar warmth into the bean.

THE CUP

A sweet, easy-going, and thoroughly approachable Thermal Shock Caturra from one of Huila's most technically accomplished producers — sweet citrus and nectarine up front, red cherry brightness through the middle, and a warm brown sugar finish. Nestor Lasso's expertise, in its most accessible expression.

Flavour Notes

🍊 Sweet Citrus 🍑 Nectarine 🍒 Red Cherry 🍬 Brown Sugar