Having worked in Nicaragua since 2018 we have come to love those complex, dense lots from the higher altitudes of Nueva Segovia, close to the border with Honduras.
Some of the producers in the region whose coffee is making up this community blend are Cleofe Cruz and Efrain Roque. Cleofe tends to the Caturra cultivar at 1,637 metres, whilst Efrain has Catuaí growing at 1,350 metres. They are also growing plantains as a secondary food crop and to provide shade, which is also given by Ingas and other native forest trees. After harvesting both Cleofe and Efrain perform a fermentation stage of around 36 to 48 hours before fully washing the clean coffee parchment.
Comprising ultimately of outturns from smallholder growers such as these, our Nicaraguan coffees come from a slightly more involved supply chain. Typically in a hot and dry climate, a lot of the effort and potential of great coffees can be undone at the drying stage. Even ripe cherries, processed and handled well, can lose their flavours during transit if they’re dried too quickly or aggressively. Caravela operate two beneficios dedicated to taking processed parchment through this crucial stage in a very methodical manner. Beneficia La Estrella is their buying and drying hub near Jinotega, where we have enjoyed some very chocolatey and satisfying lots from over the years. Beneficio La Concordia is their facility near Ocotal in the north, where we compile these lots for our perennially available single origin coffee, Evergreen, as well as to use in our house blend, Article. At each beneficio they employ a trained team to move coffees from various tiered mesh beds under differing degrees of shade, using specially designed rakes to comb through the drying lots. Relying on tools like hygrometers and thermometers, they can ensure each lot of coffee gets the utmost care during the drying stage. The goal is to capture and retain as much quality as possible.
We pay well in excess of not just the legal minimum price and the living income wage in Nicaragua, but also the minimum prosperity price, ensuring coffee is a viable and sustainable crop for smallholder growers to continue to work with.
