What is Jesus Mountain Coffee Company? Flavor Characteristics of Nicaraguan Coffee

The Fascinating World of Coffee

Variety, origin, region, altitude, washed or natural, light roast or dark roast: the factors that shape a good cup of coffee are genuinely countless, and each one takes specialized knowledge. Lately I have been consulting with coffee experts of different backgrounds, and I feel more and more that there is no limit to what can be learned, which is exactly what makes coffee so captivating to real enthusiasts.

Coffee Varieties and Terroir

Drinking coffee is like drinking wine: you look at the estate and the variety. Wine has Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz, and Syrah, while coffee has Arabica and Robusta, which are further divided into sub-varieties such as Typica, Bourbon, Caturra, and Kona. Different varieties produce distinctive flavors depending on different geographical conditions such as climate and soil. Yet even the best growing conditions or varieties must be managed by estate owners with deep technical expertise, who farm appropriately for the local environment and pair that with careful harvesting and post-processing. From there, roasters and baristas downstream bring the coffee to the consumer as a cup full of flavor and distinct layers.

Nicaraguan Coffee Characteristics

Nicaraguan coffee is produced mainly in the central and northern regions, and beans from the Jinotega area come from natural farming at an altitude of 1200 meters. Shade-grown cultivation is its defining feature, and the beans are washed and sun-dried.

Generally speaking, Nicaraguan coffee does not have extremely distinctive characteristics, so common Nicaraguan beans often end up in blends or instant coffee. High-quality Nicaraguan beans, however, such as Maragogipe, are highly regarded. Their beans are very large, earning them the nickname "elephant beans." Because their flavor is more balanced than the distinct fruit acidity often found in other Central American coffees, they have a clean taste and excellent mellow richness. That round, gentle texture also helps them stand out among Guatemalan coffee beans, and they are loved by many.

The Story of Cerro Jesus Coffee Company

Cerro Jesus Coffee Company grew out of more than 60 years of friendship, travel, and adventure. David, Miguel, and Bing, lifelong friends from Stockton, California, worked in Nicaragua after completing volunteer service with the Peace Corps in the 1970s. Although the friends had to leave the country after the 1979 revolution, David and his wife and Nicaraguan children returned in the 1990s. With David and his family back in the Nueva Segovia region, and the trio's combined experience in agriculture and development, the friends established Cerro Jesus Coffee Company in Nicaragua in 1999.

Motivated to buy land at El Cerro de Jesus, the friends were eager to produce quality coffee and to preserve the unique environment and community there. The founders immediately stopped the widespread slash-and-burn activity on the land they gradually acquired and began negotiations with MARENA to establish a private nature reserve. Their early work also included building roads and bridges, a primary school that currently serves about 30 students, and a church for the El Cerro community and its neighbors.

The farm suffered at the hands of both nature and the ups and downs of the coffee market. Those lessons led to improvements in the technical management of the farm and wet mill and focused the operation on specialty coffee, a more stable market, though more demanding than the commercial one. Despite the historical obstacles at Cerro Jesus, the founders never gave up their dream of a sustainable farm producing the highest quality coffee in an ecologically responsible way, with a serious commitment to the development and welfare of workers and neighboring communities.

FrontStreet Coffee's Recommended Brewing Method

Dripper

Hario V60

Water Temperature

90°C

Grind Size

Fuji Royal grinder setting 3.5

Brewing Technique

Coffee-to-water ratio 1:15, using 15 g of coffee grounds. First pour 25 g of water and let it bloom for 25 seconds. Second pour to 120 g and stop. Wait until the water level in the coffee bed drops halfway, then continue pouring slowly until you reach 225 g in total. Extraction time should be around 2:00 minutes.

Analysis

The three-stage method clearly defines the front, middle, and back-end flavors of the coffee. Because the V60 has many ribs and drains quickly, stopping the flow during pouring helps extend the extraction time.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Nicaraguan coffee is prized for balance and a clean, mellow cup, and the FrontStreet Gedingding Cooperative shows the same virtues through a washed process. From Gedingding village in the Yirgacheffe area, it followed the most traditional washed method, and the result is a coffee with no bitter edge: jasmine florals and bright citrus acidity over a clean, sweet base, with green tea and honey notes brought out by a medium-light roast. It works well as pour-over, cold brew, or espresso.

For a different take on washed coffee, the FrontStreet Kenya Little Tomato is a standout. Grown in Kenya's Thika region at 1,550-1,750 meters from the SL28 and SL34 varieties, it goes through a Kenyan 72-hour double washed fermentation that brings out vivid cherry tomato and smoked plum notes, a juicy, full body, a sweet mid-palate of snow pear and black plum, and a clean, long finish. The FrontStreet Jamaica Blue Mountain No. 1 is another fine washed option, roasted medium-dark so that nuts, dark chocolate, creamy caramel, and a soft sweetness settle into the balanced, clean cup that Blue Mountain is known for.