【Washed Java Long Bean】Nicaragua San Jose Estate Java Variety Flavor and Profile?

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[Washed Java Long Bean] Nicaragua Finca San Jose Java Variety: Flavor and Taste Profile? How to Brew Java Variety Coffee Beans?

Finca San Jose Java, belonging to the long bean classic lineage, possesses floral aromas and quite sweet fruit flavors! Batch code 3012, processed using the washed method, is an exclusive micro-lot. Finca San Jose belongs to the same family as the previously introduced La Minita and Limoncillo estates. As early as 2002, we visited this family's estate group. They were also pioneers for our direct relationship coffee in Nicaragua. The proportion of Java variety planted at Finca San Jose was much lower than Limoncillo estate in the early days. Due to excellent quality, although gradually increasing planting, the yield is still far below that of Catura varieties.

Every February, our cuppers are invited again to Nicaragua to cup the family's outstanding batches, including those participating in the Cup of Excellence (CoE) competition and the estate's own small farmer cupping sessions. Of course, this also includes the direct relationship batches carefully selected by us.

Finca San Jose is located in Jinotega province, which is Nicaragua's major coffee producing region. There are many coffee gardens along the way. Finca San Jose itself has a very well-equipped processing facility. Upon arrival on the same day, workers were unloading the first batch of coffee cherries harvested that day, preparing for the initial stage of receiving and preliminary water screening.

Finca San Jose is situated in the highlands of the beautiful Lake Apanas, with stunning scenery. The first visit to this beautiful estate was around noon, with swirling mist making it difficult to capture clear lake views. Every afternoon visit, the most anticipated sight is the sunset over the lake! The terrain along the path is steep, and the fertile volcanic soil gives Finca San Jose's coffee beans a delicate and sweet taste.

The estate owner, Inversiones Mierisch, father of Erwin Mierisch (Cup of Excellence head judge), told me that although Finca San Jose has steep terrain, it is an excellent microclimate spot with very fertile soil. Therefore, it can produce small batches of specialty coffee specifically for small specialty roasters, but only a few micro-lots are available each year. In the past, these were actually selected by astute cupping experts. Starting from the Cup of Excellence small farmer cupping competition in 2013, he invited experts and family cuppers to cup together. Only micro-lots scoring above 87 points were included in the bidding batches. The first event in 2013 was quite successful, and he decided to continue entrusting the Cup of Excellence to organize the small farmer competition.

Four years ago, Inversiones Mierisch believed that although Nicaragua's specialty coffee was progressing rapidly, the fundamentals needed further improvement. One must be more discerning than roasters to maintain the favor of connoisseurs. Furthermore, more effort must be invested in researching the relationship between flavors and processing methods. Looking at the cupping quality of all small farmer competition samples in the past two years, he has indeed achieved this!

Flavor Profile

Sugarcane, honey sweetness, vanilla plants, preserved plums, herbal plants, chocolate

FrontStreet Coffee Recommended Brewing:

Dripper: Hario V60

Water Temperature: 90°C

Grind Size: Fujisaki grind setting 3.5

Brewing Method: Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, using 15g of coffee. First pour 25g of water for a 25-second bloom. Second pour to 120g, then pause. Wait until the water level in the coffee bed drops to halfway before continuing the pour. Slowly pour until reaching 225g total water. Extraction time around 2:00 minutes.

Analysis:

Using a three-stage brewing method to clearly distinguish the front, middle, and back-end flavors of the coffee. Because the V60 has many ribs and faster drainage, pausing the pour can help extend the extraction time.

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