El Diviso, Colombia (Pink Bourbon)

Region: Huila
Producer: Nestor Neffer Lasso Zuñiga
Altitude: 1750 MASL
Process: Washed
Variety: Pink Bourbon
Tasting Notes: Strawberry, Hibiscus Tea, Lime

About El Diviso

El Diviso is a family-run coffee farm in Pitalito, Huila, led by Nestor Lasso and his brother Adrián. Situated between roughly 1,750 and 1,900 metres above sea level, the farm benefits from high-altitude conditions, volcanic soils, and a relatively cool climate. Nestor Lasso’s reputation in the specialty coffee industry has been shaped as much by competition exposure as by a sustained commitment to production quality. Coffees from El Diviso have been repeatedly selected by top-level baristas for national and world competitions, placing his work firmly within the competitive end of specialty coffee. For a young producer, this level of recognition in only a few years is uncommon and reflects a production approach oriented toward precision rather than scale.

Rather than focusing on volume, El Diviso is organised around varietal diversity and microlot separation. The farm grows a wide range of Arabica cultivars, including Pink Bourbon, Bourbon Sidra, Geisha, Tabi, Red and Yellow Bourbon, Caturra, Castillo, Chiroso, Java, and Pacamara. This diversity allows individual plots and harvests to be processed and evaluated on their own terms. Processing is central to the farm’s identity, with controlled, multi-stage fermentations that often combine aerobic and anaerobic phases, sometimes followed by thermal shock, before slow drying on raised beds or solar dryers. These methods are applied selectively, with an emphasis on repeatability and clarity.

Pink Bourbon is a rare varietal most closely associated with Colombia, particularly regions like Huila. It is named for the pink or salmon-coloured cherries that appear at peak ripeness, a visual trait that sets it apart from more common Bourbon types. While long thought to be a mutation of Red and Yellow Bourbon, recent genetic research suggests Pink Bourbon may be more closely related to Ethiopian landrace varieties. This lineage helps explain its aromatic range and why it is often valued for complex and nuanced floral and fruit qualities.

Nestor Lasso was only 25 years old when he took over the family farm alongside his brother Adrián. El Diviso was originally founded by their grandfather, José Uribe, and remains rooted in generational knowledge while embracing a modern outlook. The farm’s visibility began to grow rapidly around 2022, as its coffees appeared consistently in winning competition routines. Today, El Diviso is known for its meticulously crafted microlots produced across approximately 15 hectares of farmland. Nestor and Adrián Lasso frequently collaborate with local and international experts and are part of Colombia’s next generation of coffee producers investing in high-quality coffee as a sustainable career and way of life.