At first sip, this coffee tastes punchy, intense and surprising. The next sip, we find cherry and red berry notes and a lot of body. The coffee is extremely sweet, with tropical fruit notes of passion fruit, pineapple or mango, yet it is balanced and clear, a little bit like a multi-fruit juice – but at the same time much more complex. It's incredible how different coffee can taste.
This coffee reminds us a lot of El Diviso 180 from 2022: The fermentation is comparable and we found lots of tropical fruit notes in both coffees. However, the Ombligon is somewhat more elegant, cleaner and more complex.
During the harvest, only the very ripe coffee cherries are picked, which is checked by measuring the sucrose contents with a brix meter. The cherries are then placed in open plastic containers and left to oxidize for 48 hours. During this time, the sugar content and pH value are constantly monitored. Next, the cherries are placed in cold water in order for unripe, defective or beans that are low in density float to the top and can be sorted out.
This is followed by a thermal shock, which means the beans are rinsed with warm water that loosens the molecular structure and starts the fermentation process. The process is supported by adding a small quantity of yeast. The coffee cherries and yeast are then placed in plastic buckets, which are sealed airtight. For the next 38 hours, the coffee and microorganisms are left to themselves. Finally, a controlled drying process takes place in several stages and the coffee is dried to a moisture content of 10.5-11.5%.
After we were offering a heavily fermented Pink Bourbon varietal from the Lasso family called «El Diviso 180» as an espresso the year before last, a somewhat lighter, washed, but still anaerobically fermented coffee of the Chiroso variety was on our shelves at the end of 2023. The new «El Diviso» is more in line again with the classic Nestor Lasso profile and this time we decided to roast the coffee for filter preparation, although it makes for a great espresso, too. The post-harvest processing is similar to that of «El Diviso 180», but we bought coffee of a different varietal this time around. Ombligon, an Arabica variety that has been receiving more attention recently, is primarily grown in Colombia and often offers a complex flavor profile.
No matter which variety or processing methods – Nestor Lasso has never disappointed us, each of his coffees is exclusive and of incredibly high quality. Several of Nestor Lasso's coffees have been used by baristas to win national championships or place in the top 3. Most recently, Australian participant Jack Simpson won third place at the World Barista Championship 2023 with this very green coffee we bought as well.
