COLOMBIA · YELLOW PAPAYO

This coffee is grown on the farm El‍, located in Pitalito, in the department of Huila, southern Colombia. The farm, perched at 1750 meters above sea level, extends over 14.5 hectares, shaded by native and fruit trees. It is run by the brothers Nestor and Adrian Lasso, two young producers who took over the family business a few years ago with a clear ambition: to make specialty coffee a global reference.

The project El > was born from the union of two family farms, that of the Lasso and their partner Jhoan Vergara. Thanks to their collaboration with Cata Export, they have developed advanced fermentation protocols, allowing them to produce coffee of remarkable quality. The results were not long in coming: their prizes were awarded at European barista competitions, including a 1st place at the Brewers Cup of Ireland.

Nestor Lasso grew up in Normandía, Huila, and has always been linked to coffee. By moving away from traditional low-income practices, he trained alongside the best, notably through the SENA program in Colombia, deepening his knowledge of fermentation, tasting, and international trade. For him, it is passion that distinguishes exceptional producers.

The story of El°is that of a committed, trained, and creative generation that transforms the landscape of Colombian coffee through a vision of quality, sustainability, and innovation.

This Yellow Papayo has been processed through an extremely precise natural process, designed to amplify the aromatic potential of this rare variety.

1. Cherry selection & preparation
The harvest begins with a rigorous manual sorting: only perfectly ripe cherries are selected. The grains are then cleaned and disinfected, then floated to remove subdense grains.

2. Fermentation in several phases:

Controlled oxidation for 36 hours at 25°C, allowing an onset of enzymatic degradation and the intensification of aromas.

Anaerobic fermentation in hermetic tanks or bags for 24 hours, at a stable temperature between 16 and 18°C. This phase allows the development of fruity esters and a complex sweet structure.

3. Controlled drying in closed chamber:
The coffee is then placed in stainless-steel dehumidifiers, at a maximum temperature of 45°C. Once the moisture content has dropped to 18%, the beans are transferred into black bags and left to rest in a lightless warehouse for 60 hours, which allows stabilizing the aromas and fixing the volatile compounds.
Finally, drying resumes until reaching a final humidity of 11%.

This meticulous approach to drying and fermentation ensures a clean, stable, and expressive cup, revealing all the richness of Papayo.