Nestor Lasso Yellow Papayo: El Diviso's Rarest Variety in Its Yellow Form
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Nestor Lasso Yellow Papayo: El Diviso's Rarest Variety in Its Yellow Form
Papayo is already one of Colombia's rarest varieties — an Ethiopian landrace with elongated, papaya-shaped cherries. Nestor Lasso cultivates the yellow-ripening variant at Finca El Diviso, adding a distinct layer of sweetness and tropical complexity to the variety's already extraordinary profile.
At a Glance
Yellow Papayo: A Rare Colour Variant of an Already Rare Variety
Papayo — named for its elongated, pointed cherries that resemble miniature papaya fruits — is an Ethiopian landrace only recently identified in Colombia's coffee-growing regions (see also Blog #23: La Providencia Papayo by Fabian Acevedo). The variety's distinctive tropical profile — banana, quince, papaya, lemon — has made it one of the most sought-after emerging varietals in Colombian specialty. Most Papayo lots produce red-ripening cherries; the Yellow Papayo variant is even rarer, with cherry colour that ranges from yellow to orange-gold at peak ripeness.
The yellow-ripening characteristic is not merely aesthetic. Yellow and red variants of the same variety often show subtle differences in sugar composition and acidity balance at ripeness — yellow Bourbon, yellow Catuai, and other yellow-fruit varieties are consistently associated with a slightly higher sweetness and lower perceived acidity than their red counterparts. In the context of Papayo's already sweet, tropical-fruit-forward profile, the yellow variant adds an additional layer of mellow sweetness and a more honeyed character.
Finca El Diviso: Home of Colombia's Most Experimental Lots
Finca El Diviso is operated by brothers Nestor and Adrian Lasso at 1,750 metres above sea level near Pitalito, Huila — in collaboration with Jhoan Vergara of neighbouring Las Flores farm. The farm has hosted some of the most celebrated lots in specialty coffee history: the Sidra that won the 2022 World Barista Championship (Anthony Douglas), the Ombligon that placed 3rd at the 2023 WBC (Jack Simpson), and a growing portfolio of rare varieties processed with Nestor's signature multi-stage natural and washed protocols. See Blog #3 (Ombligon) and Blog #4 (Sidra) for the full El Diviso story.
Yellow Papayo is among the newest additions to El Diviso's variety collection. Planting rare varieties requires multi-year investment before the first harvestable crop — making Yellow Papayo lots genuinely limited in supply. Cata Export handles the export and international distribution, connecting El Diviso directly to specialty roasters across Europe and beyond.
El Diviso's Full Variety Portfolio
Tasting Profile — Yellow Papayo
Brew Guide
Filter
1:15–1:16
93–96°C · Yellow fruit and honey on cooling
Espresso
1:2.5–1:3
Sweet tropical shot · superb with oat milk
Rest
10–21 days
Multi-stage process — allow full degassing
Shop Yellow Papayo at BrewFusion
Nestor Lasso's rarest variety from Finca El Diviso — Yellow Papayo, Pitalito, Huila. Shipped fresh worldwide.
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