Five years ago, Nestor and his brother Adrian Lasso took the helm of their family farm and shifted focus from traditional coffee cultivation to specialty coffee experimentation. Today, at just 22 and 24 years old, they’ve joined forces with fellow coffee farmer’s son Jhoan Vergara to launch El Diviso a collaboration uniting two estates (El Diviso, managed by the Lasso brothers, and Las Flores, owned by Vergara) near Pitalito in Colombia’s Huila region. By pooling their expertise, the three young producers have driven significant quality improvements.

Nestor’s Story

” I grew up in the vereda of Normandia, near Pitalito in southern Huila—a region defined by coffee. My childhood was safe and wholesome: everyone knew each other, and I spent my days playing hide‑and‑seek and exploring the farm.

Traditionally, coffee farming here offers low pay and few material comforts; many young people leave for less demanding jobs in town. But I’ve always been passionate about production. When I discovered that specialty coffee could drive real economic development and allow me to master processing techniques, I dove in completely.

Through our partnership with Cata, I’ve learned how the European market works and who’s buying our coffee. Cata stressed the importance of sensory evaluation, so I trained myself to cup coffee and assess how processing affects flavor.

Back home, my brother and I studied at SENA, Colombia’s state‑funded coffee school and one of Latin America’s best. We covered all the theory and science of coffee processing, but the true lessons still come in the field.

With coffee prices high today, many producers are curious about our methods. We quickly distinguish those genuinely passionate about specialty coffee from those seeking a quick profit. Passion is what makes the difference, without it, you’ll never master the craft.

I’ve also seen Colombian consumption evolve. Until recently, locals drank only by‑products that couldn’t be exported. Now, many keep part of their harvest to roast and enjoy at home, recognizing coffee’s nobler qualities. This specialty‑coffee movement has reshaped how we view the bean. ” Nestor Lasso.

Process Details

1. Hand‑select the ripest cherries.

2. Density sorting: immerse cherries in water and discard any that float.

3. First anaerobic fermentation: cherries are placed in seal bags for 24–32 hours at 16–17 °C.

4. Pulping and oxidation: pulp the cherries and let them oxidize for six hours, then harvest the juice produced during this phase.

5. Second anaerobic fermentation: combine pulped cherries with the harvested mosto in sealed tanks for 28–32 hours.

6. Thermal shock washing: rinse the beans with hot water to remove mucilage, then wash with cold water to halt fermentation.

7. Drying: lay the beans out in marquesinas (greenhouses) for 16–25 days, depending on weather.