Nicaragua | Hidden Estate Natural Low Caffeine Laurina Variety | Honey Process Lot 180

Nicaragua Hidden Estate Natural Low-Caffeine Laurina: Honey Process Lot 1802

Laurina, also known as Bourbon Pointu, contains only about 0.6% caffeine. Regular Arabica varieties typically sit between 1% and 1.2%, while Robusta exceeds 2%. To confirm the figure, this batch of Laurina was sent for testing alongside other varieties from the same estate — and the results confirmed the rumors. Laurina's caffeine content really is 40-50% lower than traditional Arabica varieties. That is good news for low-caffeine drinkers. Normally, low-caffeine coffee is produced through chemical processing, water processing or carbon dioxide treatment. Chemical processing raises concerns, while water- and CO2-processed decaf often loses flavor. Now that naturally low-caffeine Laurina has reached the market, it meets demand without sacrificing quality.

Laurina's revival is thanks to persistent Japanese coffee experts and UCC Coffee, who discovered and cultivated the variety from Réunion Island. This Laurina comes from Nicaragua's Hidden Estate, near Lake Apanas in Jinotega province and owned by the Mierisch family. The family's estates sit either in this area or on the other side in Matagalpa. The estate is called "Hidden" because it is surrounded by trees and sits next to a large forest — hence the name Hidden Estate (Finca La Escondida).

Estate Information

Altitude: 975 to 1230 meters

Average Annual Temperature: average high 27°C, average low 16°C

Varieties in This Batch: Caturra Estrella, Laurina (Bourbon Pointu)

Processing Method: Washed (dry fermentation, then dried on raised beds)

Cupping Notes: Pomelo and citrus, peach with cane sugar sweetness, floral notes, nuts, cane sugar, spice, blackberry. Very clean on entry, with a special fusion of berries, cherries, citrus and chocolate, a delicate juice-like sensation, persistent caramel sweetness and a long aftertaste.

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Recommendations

Dripper: Hario V60

Water Temperature: 90°C

Grind Size: Fuji Royal grinder setting 3.5

Brewing Method: 1:15 water-to-coffee ratio, 15g of coffee. First pour with 25g of water for a 25-second bloom. Second pour to 120g, then pause. Wait until the water level drops to half, then slowly pour to 225g total. Extraction time around 2:00.

Analysis: The three-stage method clearly separates the front, middle and back-end flavors. Because the V60 has many ribs and drains quickly, pausing the pour extends the extraction time.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Nicaragua's Mierisch-family coffees lean toward honey and natural processing, and if that sweetness is what you are after, FrontStreet's honey-processed lineup delivers the same style. FrontStreet Costa Rica Blackberry uses a black honey process that leaves almost all of the mucilage on the bean. Drying takes at least two weeks under shade to slow it down and let the sugars convert fully, with regular turning to avoid uneven fermentation. Roasted medium-light, it gives a strong floral aroma when ground and drinks with grape, berry and ripe blackberry flavors.

For a rounder, more layered sweetness, FrontStreet Strawberry Candy Geisha Blend pairs a washed Panamanian Geisha with a Costa Rican grape-honey coffee. The Costa Rican component is processed with 100% of the mucilage retained and zero water: cherries are floated so underdeveloped and overripe fruit is skimmed off, dried on raised beds for at least three days, then depulped and dried further with constant turning. The blend shows Geisha's floral-tea character alongside grape and raisin, gentle fruit acidity, an almond finish and clear sweetness.

If you want to explore an even more experimental honey process, FrontStreet Costa Rica Mozart uses a raisin-honey method that pre-dries whole cherries on raised beds for at least three days before removing the pulp and continuing the honey steps. Retaining 100% of the mucilage makes it harder to control than black honey, but the payoff is a richer tropical fruit sweetness — osmanthus, pineapple and raisin whether you brew it as pour-over, cold brew or with a moka pot.