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El Diviso: A New Generation of Coffee Farmers ‎
Five years ago, in the heart of Colombia’s Huila region, two young brothers — Nestor and Adrian Lasso — decided to transform their family farm. Instead of growing coffee for the commodity market, they chose a different path: one of experimentation, specialty lots, and quality-driven production. ‎
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Today, at just 22 and 24 years old, the Lasso brothers have teamed up with Joan Verwaga, also a coffee grower’s son, to create El Diviso, a farm built on passion, curiosity, and the belief that Colombian coffee should shine not only abroad — but also at home. ‎
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“We grew up with coffee, but wanted to give it a new meaning” ‎
— Nestor Lasso ‎
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“I grew up in a small rural area called Normandía, near Pitalito. Everyone knows each other here. I had a happy childhood — playing outside, feeling safe, surrounded by nature. ‎
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For most of my life, coffee farming felt like hard work with little reward. Many young people moved to the city, searching for office jobs. But I found inspiration in specialty coffee. I saw that coffee could bring not just decent income — but also purpose and growth. ‎
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We studied with SENA, a government-funded program considered the best coffee school in Latin America. But in the end, true knowledge comes from the field — from experiments, mistakes, and learning hands-on.” ‎
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Not Equipment — But Passion ‎
Nestor believes that great coffee doesn't come from land or machines — but from devotion and drive. ‎
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“Some producers have large farms and top equipment. But if they lack passion, they’ll never produce great specialty coffee.” ‎
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Colombia’s View on Coffee Is Changing ‎
Just a few years ago, most Colombians drank what was left after exporting — low-grade beans. But thanks to farms like El Diviso, the culture is shifting. ‎
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“Today, many producers roast their own coffee, drink it at home, and take pride in their craft. People are starting to see coffee for what it truly is — something noble.” ‎
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El Diviso's Post-Harvest Process ‎
🔹 01. Selective Hand-Picking ‎
Only ripe cherries at peak maturity. ‎
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🔹 02. Float Sorting ‎
Cherries are placed in cold water. Floaters (unripe, low-density, or damaged) are removed by hand. ‎
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🔹 03. Anaerobic Fermentation ‎
Cherries ferment in sealed plastic tanks or bags for 24–32 hours at 16–17°C. ‎
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🔹 04. Pulping + Oxidation ‎
The cherries are pulped and left to oxidize for 6 hours. The juice (musto) released during this step is collected. ‎
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🔹 05. Second Fermentation ‎
Beans are placed with musto in closed tanks for an additional 28–32 hours. ‎
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🔹 06. Washing ‎
Beans are washed with hot water to remove remaining mucilage, then cold water to stop fermentation. ‎
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🔹 07. Drying ‎
Beans dry in marquesinas (raised drying beds under canopy) for 16–25 days, depending on weather. ‎
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