Every now and again, a new name bursts onto the specialty coffee scene that has people absolutely salivating. Usually, it’s when a multi-award-winning barista, a viral internet coffee personality, or a world-famous producer starts a new venture.

And that’s exactly what happened when Colombia’s legendary Diego Bermudez joined forces with Texas-based Native Coffee Company.

☕ From Dallas to Colombia: The Origin of Native

Founded in 2018 by father-and-son duo Tracy and Luke Jackson, Native started life as a humble coffee shop in downtown Dallas. Luke, a filmmaker by trade, began work on a coffee-focused project in 2023—one that led him to meet none other than Diego Bermudez, the famed Colombian specialty coffee producer whose name has become synonymous with cutting-edge processing.

The two instantly clicked. And just like that, a powerful collaboration was born—one that would radically reshape the Native brand and give it unprecedented access to origin-roasted coffees.

🌱 Native Becomes Diego’s Exclusive Roastery

As of now, Native Coffee Company is the only physical showroom for all of Diego’s most exclusive coffees as well as the limited Hachi lots. They roast right at origin in Colombia and in the US and can dispatch coffee that was picked just 15 days prior.

This level of freshness is only possible thanks to Colombia’s unique year-round coffee picking rhythm—a distinct advantage that few other origins can offer.

🇨🇴 Colombia: A Hotbed of Innovation in Specialty Coffee

For years now, Colombia has been a breeding ground for radical ideas in coffee processing, fermentation, and farming. Many of the world’s most innovative producers hail from this vibrant origin. It’s no surprise that Colombia is widely regarded as one of the most exciting countries in specialty coffee right now.

🧪 Who Is Diego Bermudez?

A trained physicist, Diego is the mastermind behind some of the most experimental coffee processes on the planet. Every lot undergoes gas chromatography analysis to map the aromatic compounds present in the cherry before processing even begins.

Why? Because once they know which aromatic volatiles are there, Diego’s team can design a tailor-made fermentation process to amplify and preserve those flavors.

He’s also the one responsible for pioneering thermal shock processing—a method involving controlled temperature applications during fermentation to enhance and lock in specific flavor profiles.

🎯 From Shadows to Spotlight: Giving Producers the Final Say

In the past, unlike in wine or whiskey, coffee producers rarely got the spotlight. Roasters were the heroes. Producers were just… there.

Thankfully, the rise of direct trade and transparency in specialty coffee changed that. We now see producers’ names proudly displayed on coffee bags—but one challenge remained.

Coffee is almost always roasted in the country where it’s consumed, not where it’s grown. That means producers traditionally had very little control over how their coffee ended up tasting. Their incredible efforts could be undone by a less-than-stellar roast.

🔥 Enter Native’s Producer-Led Roastery

Why shouldn’t producers roast their own coffee? That’s the question Native Coffee Company set out to answer.

With Diego on board since 2023, Native is building a producer-led roastery based at origin. Not only do they roast Diego’s own lots, but also coffees from befriended producers in Colombia and even further afield, including Africa.

🌟 Introducing: ‘Dragonfruit Spritz’ 

It’s with great pleasure (and a bit of fanfare) that we announce a very special debut in our Coffeevine subscription: one of Diego’s lots, roasted by Native.

And this is no ordinary lot. It’s a Castillo variety called Dragonfruit Spritz.

🧬 The Science Behind the Flavor

To create this coffee, Diego’s team performed a scientific flavour analysis of the cherry. Based on that, they developed a culture medium rich in the aromatic volatiles required to trigger the desired chemical reactions during fermentation.

The result? Expect plum, cherry, raspberry, and dragonfruit notes—all bright, clean, tropical, and bursting with energy.

🎢 Your Taste Buds Are in for a Ride

If you’ve ever wanted to truly taste the future of specialty coffee, this is your moment. Dragonfruit Spritz is not just a coffee—it’s a statement.

Fresh, vibrant, deeply scientific, and utterly delicious—this is what happens when a visionary producer roasts his own masterpiece.

This coffee is part of our upcoming GEMS release and you can order yours via our shop.