Nicaragua: Edition 23.062 - 125g

*Please note that this coffee is sold in 125g bags – not our regular 250g*

This producer relationship is one that long-term Hasbean fans will already be intimately familiar with. In the Matagalpa region of Nicaragua, at 1,200 metres above sea level, sits Finca Limoncillo. Owned and run by the Mierisch family who are very close friends of ours and highly respected producers. They're known for their experimental processing, varietal work, and exceptional coffee.

The farm is a huge 171 hectares in size with 109 hectares being used specifically for coffee cultivation, whilst the remainder is used to raise cattle and horses, or left to beautiful natural woodland, boasting nine waterfalls within the farm. The family have scores of policies and initiatives to make everything as sustainable as possible on this vast farming area: their use of chemicals is minimal, and the impact on the environment is always minimised by careful and considerate land management.

The family employ over 3,000 staff during the harvest, and at Limoncillo over 60 families live on the farm full-time. They are seriously loved by the folks who work for them, more than any other producer we buy from, there is genuine love and respect between the family and their workers. The fact that the Mierisches are our friends helps us drill down into the details of what they do for the people who work for them. This information continues to prove to us that good people grow good coffee. We have been buying coffees from Limoncillo since 2007 and don't see that stopping any time soon!

The Ethiosar varietal was first planted on the Mierisch family's farms in Nicaragua and it's here where they have become a great example of retaining high cup quality whilst also adding disease resistance and productivity (i.e. lots of coffee cherries per hectare).

Ethiosar is a stable hybrid plant that results from breeding Sudan Rume (from Ethiopia) with a Sarchimor (a cross of Villa Sarchi with Timor), the offspring of this plant is then crossed once again with Villa Sarchi (an improved Caturra / Bourbon from Costa Rica). All of that hard work and genetic back-and-forth results in the awesome Ethiosar!

Some people will turn their noses up at the mention of Timor due to its Robusta heritage, but Catimors (the name for the group of varieties made by crossing Timor with Caturra-based varietals) are very useful. Through skilled breeding, we can harness the practical aspects of Robusta (high yield, resistance to pests and disease, growth at lower altitudes) while still retaining the positive cup characteristics of Arabica varieties. Ethiosar has a very small percentage of Catimor in it, thus making it very resistant to leaf rust (Roya) in most parts of the world. Both Sudan Rume and Villa Sarchi are known for their great cup characteristics. Ethiosar increases production yields by up to 40% whilst only needing 2,800 plants per manzana. For comparison, planting a comparable crop of Caturra would require 4,000 densely planted trees on the same land. Fewer plants, less fertilisers, and less husbandry all mean cheaper production costs for producers without compromising on the quality that specialty buyers expect.

The Fincas Mierisch team have done a lot of experimentation with processing coffee and have invested heavily in this. There are two parts to the processing they have done on this coffee which has added a unique twist to the natural style. The first is it’s anaerobic; this means they have used a plastic barrel and added the coffee cherries to it, then topped it up with water and sealed it with a metal band along with a breather – a plastic tube that lets gases out through a water trap and prevents air coming in. The enzymatic and fermentation processes that happen in the barrel create gases which displace any air remaining when the barrel was closed so they call this anaerobic – meaning without air.

The second feature is this is low -temperature. The enzymatic and fermentation processes in coffee have a major impact on the flavour of the finished coffee. The anaerobic processing barrels for this are kept in a cold room which helps to maintain a low temperature. The balance of the different processes (and the kind of chemicals they create) is partially controlled by temperature – this kind of low-temperature processing helps create clean, crisply-flavoured coffees. You'll notice in this case you've got a super funky coffee – we reckon the cold processing here has meant that they can push it to develop this super funky quality without developing any off-flavours or defects which are often found in coffees with less careful control.

A super fruity and complex cup, this opens up with raspberry jam. A dose of funky bruised peach and blueberries comes in next, whilst a gentle caramel sweetness rounds out the cup. A clean, sweet pear comes in on the finish, with a little sprinkle of sweet allspice on the aftertaste.

• Country: Nicaragua
• Region: Matagalpa
• Municipality: Yasica Norte
• Farm: Limoncillo
• Producers: The Mierisch Family
• Farm size: 171 hectares
• Coffee growing area: 109 hectares
• Elevation: 1,200 m.a.s.l.
• Processing method: Low-temperature anaerobic Natural
• Variety: Ethiosar

Cup of Excellence Cupping Scores

• Clean cup: (1–8): 6.5
• Sweetness: (1–8): 6.5
• Acidity: (1–8): 6.5
• Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6.5
• Flavour: (1–8): 7.5
• Aftertaste: (1–8): 6
• Balance: (1–8): 6
• Overall: (1–8): 7
• Correction: (+36): +36
• Total: (max. 100): 88.5

Roast Information
Medium-dark - keeping a steady pace, you want to go through first crack and just up to the first pops of second in the cooling tray, no more.

This coffee is sold in 125g bags, not our regular 250g bags.

If you place an order before 07:30, it will be roasted and dispatched that day. If you order after 07:30, it will carry over to the following working day for roasting.

We offer free UK mainland delivery on all orders over £50.00. One 250g bag sent with First Class postage will cost £3.50, and one 250g bag sent with Second Class postage will cost £2.00. DPD next working day delivery is available for a flat rate of £6.00 for all orders up to 10kg.

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