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FrontStreet Coffee: Colombia · Finca El Diviso Ombligon

Region: Huila

Estate: Finca El Diviso

Altitude: 1700 meters

Processing Method: Double Anaerobic Natural

Variety: Ombligon

Flavor Notes: Grape, orange, blueberry, pineapple juice, spices, fermented wine aroma

At the 2022 WBC, Australian champion Anthony Douglas chose a Geisha from Finca El Diviso in Colombia's Veracruz department on his way to the title, making both the estate and its Geisha famous almost overnight. Over the past two years, another Finca El Diviso variety—"Ombligon"—has also been winning over competition baristas.

Ombligon first stepped into the spotlight at the 2023 WBC finals, where third-place finisher Jack Simpson of Australia used it and showcased its rich, juice-like qualities across three different beverages. At the recently concluded WBrC finals in Chicago, two of the six finalists likewise brought Ombligon from Colombia's Finca El Diviso as their competition coffee.

Ombligon

Like many rare Arabica varieties, Ombligon's exact origins are unknown. Ask the farmers and they'll generally tell you it's an Ethiopian variety. Today it grows only in the Huila region of southwestern Colombia, showing its best character at altitudes of 1,600-1,800 meters.

"Ombligon" is Spanish for "big navel." The cherries are strikingly shaped—large like papayas, with protruding bottoms and a small circular mark that looks like a navel. Since such shapes aren't unusual among coffee varieties, farmers simply named the plant after this feature.

Genetic testing by World Coffee Research suggests Ombligon is related to Ethiopian heirloom varieties, and it's now recognized as one that arose through natural mutation in Colombia. Growers have also noticed that among Colombia's native varieties, Ombligon closely resembles Caturra: broad leaves, densely clustered cherries, vertically growing branches, high yields, and good resistance to leaf rust.

Finca El Diviso

Finca El Diviso sits in Pitalito, Huila. Owner Jose Uribe Lasso began growing coffee in 1996. Seeking an escape from city noise, he moved from Nariño to Pitalito in Huila and acquired El Diviso in early 2000, opening a new chapter for the farm.

He chose Huila for its fertile volcanic soil and rich, varied ecosystem—conditions that gave him confidence that with diligent management, coffee and any other crop could thrive. Today the estate is run by three brothers: eldest Jhoan handles cultivation, Nestor oversees overall operations, and youngest Adrian manages marketing and sales.

Finca El Diviso has always focused on rare varieties uncommon on the market. Beyond Geisha and Ombligon, the estate grows Pink Bourbon, Papayo, Tabi, Chiroso, Bourbon Aji, and other rarities, along with some novel natural mutations. The owners are also passionate about developing innovative processing methods to coax diverse, complex character out of their cherries.

Ombligon Coffee Processing Method

In choosing a process for the cherries, the estate reasoned that Ombligon's defining trait is its varied, complex juiciness. After comparing batches processed different ways, they found that letting the cherries ferment somewhat before a natural process best preserves Ombligon's clear, persistent fruit aromas.

After harvest, the ripe Ombligon cherries float in hot water (50-60°C) to remove unripe fruit and impurities, with the denser cherries soaking for about 25 minutes. They are then hand-sorted to catch anything the float missed, and the fresh cherries go into sealed fermentation tanks for 24 hours to build flavor and sweetness while the estate collects the liquid the coffee exudes.

Next, the owner adjusts the amount of that fermentation liquid to the size of the batch, adds sugar water to make up the volume, uses the sugar solution to activate wine yeast, mixes it with the collected liquid, and pours everything into the tank to ferment with the cherries for 72 hours. The liquid is recirculated every 4 hours, with pH monitored to ensure it never drops below 3.8.

Once fermentation is complete, the cherries move into the estate's custom drying boxes for 12 hours of dehydration—no external heat, just the cherries' own warmth with circulating air. Finally they're transferred to greenhouse drying nets to finish drying for about 15 days.

FrontStreet Coffee's Pour-over Recommendations

Dripper: V60

Water Temperature: 91-93°C

Dose: 15g

Ratio: 1:15

Grind Size: Fine sugar texture (20# sieve screen 80%)

FrontStreet Coffee's baristas typically use a three-pour technique: first pour 30g of water for a 30-second bloom, then pour 95g (scale reading around 125g), finishing that stage in about 1 minute. When the water level drops to two-thirds of the coffee bed, pour the remaining 100g (scale reading around 225g), finishing in about 1 minute 35 seconds. Total extraction should complete in 2 minutes, then remove the dripper to finish the drawdown.

Brewing Flavor: Hot, it shows blackcurrant and Kyoho grape acidity with a subtle orange sweetness, and a mouthfeel like ripe pineapple juice. After swallowing, distinct berry and black tea notes emerge. As it cools, bright citrus takes over with a light fermented wine aroma—layers galore.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If Ombligon's experimental processing intrigues you, the Geisha family offers equally refined expressions. FrontStreet Coffee's Esmeralda Red Label Geisha (Gamiyeo plot, 1,600-1,800m, each batch cupping above 90 points) delivers the iconic jasmine florals with citrus, bergamot, and black-tea finesse, clean and endlessly layered.

For a budget-friendly entry into "Geisha flavor," the Boquete Geisha is the classic choice—orange-blossom honey sweetness, oolong-tea texture, and delicate fruit acidity at a very approachable price. Geisha brews best with a coarser grind (78% through a #20 sieve), 91°C water, and a three-stage pour on a V60 at 1:16.