The story
Sugar Rush is part of our Extra range — a permanent line of bold, high-intensity coffees designed for those who want more: more sweetness, more fruit, more character. These are not subtle coffees. They are unapologetically expressive, built around a single idea — the pure, almost candy-like pleasure of a cup that stops you mid-sip.
Sugar Rush is our staple Extra coffee. It will always be here, evolving with the seasons but anchored to the same idea: a coffee so sweet and vibrant it tastes like the best kind of indulgence. For this first edition, we knew exactly where to turn.
Néstor Lasso is one of the producers we've known and trusted since early on. Together with his brother Adrián and their partner Jhoan Vergara, he runs El Diviso, a farm near Pitalito, Huila, that has become one of the most talked-about names in Colombian specialty coffee. Built in partnership with Cata Export — the same team behind Cherry Fizz — El Diviso is a place where tradition and precision fermentation meet. Their work earned them 1st place at the Brewers Cup in Ireland and recognition across Europe. It's the kind of result that doesn't happen by accident.
Raised in Normandía, Huila, Néstor represents a new generation of Colombian growers: people who understand their land deeply, invest in their craft obsessively, and approach quality with the same rigor you'd find in any world-class kitchen or cellar. For Sugar Rush's first edition, his Yellow Papayo — a rare and expressive variety — felt like the only choice.
The process
This lot is processed using the Advance Natural protocol developed by the Cata Export and El Diviso teams — a multi-stage fermentation method that extracts maximum sweetness and aromatic intensity from the cherry.
Cherries are selected for ripeness using cold water floatation, targeting a Brix range of 24–28° to ensure peak sugar content at the start of the process. From there, fermentation unfolds across several carefully controlled stages:
- 36 hours of open oxidation in cherry at 25°C
- 24 hours of anaerobic fermentation in sealed containers at 16–18°C
- 24 additional hours of oxidation in cherry
- 48 hours of submerged fermentation, with leachate recirculation
- A thermal shock at 50°C for 30 minutes applied after fermentation
One of the most distinctive steps in this process is the use of rehydration: coffee is first dried to 18–20% moisture, then rehydrated before being mixed with fresh cherries in a 50/50 ratio prior to depulping. This technique adds an extra layer of complexity and depth to the final cup.
Drying is done mechanically over 60 hours, interrupted at 18% humidity for a 60-hour rest period in sealed black bags — before resuming until the coffee reaches a final moisture of 11%.
The Cup
Bold, candy-sweet, and bursting with fruit — everything Sugar Rush promises, delivered.
The cup opens with orange candy: bright, sugary, and instantly arresting. Pomegranate follows with a deep, jewel-like intensity, while red grapes add a lush, almost wine-like roundness. A finish of strawberry brings everything together — ripe, clean, and impossibly sweet.
This is a coffee that commits fully to its identity. Rich in body, generous in sweetness, and expressive from first sip to last. Exactly what Sugar Rush is meant to be