Nestor lasso Bourbon aji (Colombia)
Nestor lasso Bourbon aji (Colombia)
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Nestor Lasso is one of the great names in specialty coffee. He is a producer who has been able to participate in the renewal of Colombian coffees. This passionate and hard worker has been able to get closer to an exemplary exporter with whom we are pleased to work: cata export. He only offers incredible coffees. Among the latest arrivals of the brand new harvest we have chosen this natural aji bourbon.
This coffee is of exceptional quality, a coffee like few others.
Aromas: Peach, guava, tropical fruits.
Traceability: This coffee was harvested on a single plot of 14.5Ha, on which only one botanical variety (bourbon aji) is planted, by a single producer. This partly explains a very intense aromatic spectrum further amplified by an extremely technical fermentation process which reveals notes of spirits. Our light roasting allows the presence of a beautiful structuring acidity.
The producer: The best way to define the producer is to give him the floor:
"I grew up in a vereda (town) called Normandia, near the city of Pitalito, in the south of the Huila region. I always grew up on the farm and for as long as I can remember, the area has always been a coffee growing area. I had a very healthy childhood there, everyone knows each other and it is a safe place. The memories I have of my childhood are of playing in nature, of hide and seek, and I have always been super happy to be here. In general, being a coffee farmer is poorly paid and it is not very attractive. The only thing that allows producers not to starve is to eat the fruits and vegetables produced on the farm. In terms of material goods, we only have access to what is strictly necessary. So many young people prefer to go to the city to find an office job or a less physically demanding job, because they think that coffee is not worth it. Beyond what specialty coffee can bring Economically, I have always had a passion for production. When I realized that specialty coffee offered a real opportunity for economic development, and that I could also develop my knowledge about coffee production, especially the processes, I really got started. I understand more or less how the market works thanks to the close relationship we have with Cat and Pierre, but also social networks allow us to see who buys our coffees. They also allow us to see how specialty coffee is marketed in Europe. Cat told me about the importance of the sensory aspect of the profession and encouraged me to learn to taste to control the quality of what is produced and understand the impact of the processes and whether or not they improve the taste. In addition, in Colombia, there is a program that we followed, funded by the Colombian State, and today this program is recognized as the best coffee growing school in Latin America, called SENA. We learned a lot at SENA, my brother and I. All the theoretical bases, the science of coffee processing… everything is taught there. But the reality of being a coffee producer is learned on the ground. We must not forget that the price of coffee is very high at the moment, that is why many producers want to know how we work, but we quickly identify those who are really motivated to produce specialty coffee, those who come to us with questions to learn with us, and those who only see it as a temporary opportunity to earn money. What really makes the difference is the passion that the producer can have for coffee. If you are not naturally passionate, you will never understand the subtlety! Often, some coffee farmers here have a lot of money because they have a lot of land and the best possible machines. But specialty coffee does not interest them, they do not see the point of changing because they are not as passionate about coffee as we are. I have seen that the consumption of specialty coffee has changed a lot in recent years in the country. Until recently, Colombians only drank coffee by-products, anything that couldn’t be exported. But people here have realized that coffee is a much nobler product than it seems. Today, many producers keep part of their harvest to roast it themselves and drink it at home. This whole specialty coffee craze has really brought a different way of looking at coffee.”
Post-harvest process:
- HARVEST: Manual selection of picked cherries, only ripe berries.
- OXIDATION: For 36 hours at an average room temperature of 25°C.
- ANAEROBIC FERMENTATION: In bags or containers for 24 hours, at an average temperature of 16 to 18°C.
- DRYING: Carried out in dehumidification machines at a maximum temperature of 45°C. Drying is interrupted at 18% humidity and then transferred in black bags to a warehouse protected from light, where it rests for 60 hours before resuming the process. It is dried until it reaches 11% humidity.
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