Introduction to Nicaragua's Jaime Molina Estate Honey Process Red Bourbon Variety Cultivation and Market Price

Coffee Information

Variety: Red Bourbon

Processing Plant: Jaime Jose Molina Fiallos

Flavor Profile: Chocolate, red fruits, juicy sensation

Nicaragua Coffee Region Overview

Nicaragua is divided into four main coffee-producing regions: the Segovias region, the Matagalpa/Jinotega region, the Boaco region, and the Pacific Coast region. The Segovias region has the highest cultivation altitude at roughly 1,500-2,000 meters and produces the top grade, SHG (Strictly High Grown) coffee.

Abundant volcanic ash and shade-grown cultivation yield high-quality Nicaraguan coffee with mildly gentle flavors and a light acidity. Nicaraguan beans are among the largest of all coffee varieties. MADRIZ lies in the mountainous north, bordering Nueva Segovia, Jinotega, and Esteli. The region is peaceful and elegant, home to the famous Somoto Canyon. Its population is made up largely of indigenous people from various tribes and those of mixed Spanish colonial heritage, chiefly Chorotegas. The area is known for coffee production, arts and handicrafts, and traditional cuisine. Madriz has a cool climate, and its small towns feature seemingly simple yet beautiful houses with distinctive white-tiled architecture. Numerous coffee plantations dot the area, with mountains covered in lush pine and oak forest.

Although the region has not yet been widely discovered by tourists, Madriz offers plenty of interest: unusual geological formations, rock paintings, ancient colonial sites, and high-quality handicrafts made from a range of materials. The capital of Madriz is the small city of Somoto, whose active old parish church stands in the city center and still preserves artifacts and architectural features from the colonial era dating back to 1661.

Flavor Description

Chocolate, red fruits, juicy sensation, balanced medium body

Product Information

Brand: FrontStreet Coffee

Ingredients: In-house roasted

Shelf Life: 30 days

Net Weight: 227g

Packaging: Bulk

Taste Profile: Neutral

Bean State: Roasted coffee beans

Sugar Content: Sugar-free

Origin: Nicaragua

Coffee Type: Other

Nicaragua Honey Process Red Bourbon

Country: Nicaragua

Region: La Sabana, Madriz

Altitude: 1400-1450m

Harvest Period: December to March

Processing Method: Honey Process

Honey Process Explained

"Miel" is the Spanish word for honey. The honey process (Miel Process) is a way of turning coffee cherries into green beans that ultimately lets the coffee taste as sweet and memorable as honey. Originally called "Pulp Natural," it involves sun-drying the beans while the mucilage layer is still attached. After the outer fruit pulp is removed, a sticky, gelatinous substance remains on the beans. Unlike the washed process, which rinses that layer off with water, the honey process leaves it in place, which makes drying more difficult. Careful monitoring and frequent turning are therefore essential throughout, to head off unwanted fermentation flavors.

Jaime Molina Honey Process

Country: Nicaragua

Region: La Sabana, Madriz

Estate: Jaime Molina

Estate Owner: Montecristo

Processing Plant: Jaime Jose Molina Fiallos

Altitude: 1400-1450m

Harvest Period: December to March

Processing Method: Honey Process

Variety: Red Bourbon

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If you enjoy the way honey processing rounds out sweetness and fruit, the darker end of the spectrum is worth exploring. FrontStreet Costa Rica Blackberry is made with a black honey process, which removes almost none of the mucilage and therefore dries over a longer period — at least two weeks — under a shade cover that keeps the sun from drying the cherries too quickly. The extra time ensures the sugars convert fully, and the cherries must be turned at intervals so they don't over-ferment. Roasted medium-light, it gives a heady fresh-floral fragrance when ground, and pours as a cup full of grape, berry, and ripe blackberry.

For a still more innovative take, FrontStreet Costa Rica Mozart uses a raisin-honey process, an evolved version of the traditional yellow, red, and black honey methods. The cherries are pre-dried on raised beds for at least three days before the skin and pulp are removed and the usual honey steps continue, and the process retains 100% of the mucilage. It demands strict timing and is even trickier than black honey, but it yields a richer, juicier fruit sweetness. Whether brewed as a pour-over, a cold brew, or in a moka pot, Mozart shows distinctive aromas of osmanthus, pineapple, and raisin.