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Nicaragua Coffee - Las Promesas Estate - H1 Variety - Red Honey

Nicaragua Gonzalo Adán Castillo Honey

• Estate: Las Promesas
• Region: Dipilto
• Variety: H1
• Altitude: 1,250 m
• Processing Method: Yellow Honey Process
• Roast Level: Light, Medium

Las Promesas Estate Story

Gonzalo Adán Castillo Moreno's coffee comes from a Nicaraguan COE (Cup of Excellence) frequent winner who owns several estates and has 35 years of experience in organic coffee cultivation. The estate owner has award records from the 2016 CAFÉ MÁS FINOS OF NICARAGUA competition and the 2015 and 2017 Cup of Excellence, with 75% of the coffee produced achieving cupping scores of 83 or higher.

Las Promesas Estate is located in the northern region of NEUVA SEGOVIA, near the Honduras border, at an altitude of 1,100 to 1,200 meters. With 35 years of coffee cultivation experience, the estate produces many different varieties of coffee.

Both the processing equipment and cultivation techniques are of a high standard. The estate currently has two full-time employees, with the rest being contract staff responsible for green bean processing including depulping, washing, fermentation, and packaging. Las Promesas Estate conducts soil analysis every two years, using the data as reference to provide appropriate nutrients, with fertilization applied four times a year.

The estate owner places great importance on farm health management. The commitment to protecting the planet is evident in many aspects. Readily available organic fertilizer consists of coffee cherry mixed with pulp. Weeding is done manually, 3-4 times a year. Despite higher labor costs, this approach is maintained to reduce environmental pollution. Additionally, 30-35% shade trees are preserved whenever possible to help slow the pace of climate change.

A meteorological observation station is set up on the estate for weather forecasting and record-keeping. Workers can directly access the data online, and it's also shared with coffee academies that collaborate with the estate, allowing students to observe the relationship between climate change and productivity. The estate owner deeply believes that only by caring for the Earth and understanding the key variables of nature can the planet naturally reward us with abundant, full-bodied fruits.

H1 Hybrid Coffee Variety Introduction

What is H1 hybrid coffee?

H1 hybrid coffee is a cross between Sarchimor T5296 and Rume Sudan.

Sarchimor T5296, a variety from Costa Rica's national breeding program CATIE, is a hybrid cross between VILLA SARCHI and TIMOR, possessing strong disease resistance.

Sudan Rume, according to its pedigree analysis, belongs to an earlier variety than both Typica and Bourbon lines. Since Sudan Rume is predominantly cultivated in Sudan and Ethiopia regions, its rich gene pool has continuously attracted scholars to study its disease-resistant genes over the years. However, limited by its lower yield compared to other varieties, it has not been widely adopted in coffee-producing countries. Compared to the traditional common Geisha flavor profile, Sudan Rume offers rarer but rich typical toffee and milk candy flavors, while also presenting a richer, fuller body.

Main Characteristics:

• Resistant to leaf rust
• Susceptible to American leaf spot disease
• When cultivated in shade below 40% and grafted onto Robusta coffee trees, yields 30% more than Catuaí coffee
• Coffee cherries adhere firmly after ripening and are not easily shed
• Satisfying cupping quality

Honey Process Introduction

The honey process is a processing method between the natural and washed methods. It allows coffee to retain the cleanliness of washed processing while significantly increasing the sweetness and caramel flavor (since the pulp mucilage has extremely high sugar content) by drying it together with the pulp mucilage under the sun. The honey process first appeared in Costa Rica in Central America, initially mainly because some high-altitude areas in Central America lacked water resources, so after using pulp sieves, coffee cherries were dried together with the pulp mucilage under the sun.

Simply put, the honey process is a method of processing coffee with the remaining pectin and inner parchment after removing the skin and pulp. The key to distinguishing different honey processes lies in the handling choices for this remaining pectin: the proportion of pectin retained and the drying speed and method.

Coffee beans processed with the honey method are graded into 3 levels based on the degree of pulp retention (from most to least): Yellow Honey, Red Honey, and Black Honey.

Yellow (Honey Amarillo)

Approximately 40% of the mucilage is removed; the drying method requires the most direct heat absorption, receiving maximum sunlight for drying, taking about 8 days to reach stable moisture content. Yellow honey processed coffee beans have the longest sunlight exposure time. Longer sunlight exposure means higher heat, so this coffee can be dried within 1 week. Under normal circumstances, the drying time of coffee depends on local climate, temperature, and humidity conditions.

Red (Honey Rojo)

Approximately 25% of the mucilage is removed; compared to yellow honey, the drying time is longer, and direct sunlight exposure is reduced, sometimes even using shade nets. Red honey processed coffee beans have a drying time of 2-3 weeks, usually due to weather conditions or being placed in shady areas. If the weather is sunny, growers will partially shade to reduce sunlight exposure time.

Black (Honey Negro)

Black honey processing removes almost no mucilage; it takes the longest time to dry, with a minimum duration of 2 weeks, using coverings to avoid excessive sunlight and prevent too rapid drying, allowing more thorough sugar conversion. Coffee beans are placed in the shade for the longest time, with minimal sunlight exposure, and a drying time of at least 2 weeks. The processing of black honey processed coffee beans is the most complex (due to the extended drying time, requiring more frequent checking to prevent mold and fermentation), with the highest labor costs, making it the most expensive.

In terms of flavor profile, besides the increased sweetness mentioned above, yellow honey has a clean and bright taste similar to washed processing, while black honey approaches the rich fruit aroma and full texture of natural processing, with red honey falling in between. Of course, these are general flavor descriptions, as the degree of roast, brewing method, and the terroir (soil conditions and microclimate) of different estates will still produce flavor variations.

Roasting Recommendations/Analysis

Roast Level: Light, Medium

Cupping Flavor Description:

Flavor: Hazelnut, peach, plum, green apple, refreshing clean and elegant floral aroma, balanced flavor from fruitiness and green apple acidity, smooth and layered mouthfeel.

Recommended Brewing Equipment: Pour-over, French press, Siphon

Brewing Analysis:

Today, FrontStreet Coffee introduces the commonly used hand-pour method for Nicaragua coffee: V60 Three-Stage Pouring Method

Segmented extraction, dividing all brewing water into three stages of pouring

Suitable for light roast, light-medium, and medium roast coffee beans

Using V60 dripper

Increasing bloom time or number of pour interruptions can enhance the richness of coffee flavor.

The Three-Stage Pouring Segmented Extraction Method

Advantages: More layered than single continuous pouring, can clearly distinguish the front, middle, and back-end flavors of coffee. The method involves increasing the amount of water with each pour after blooming, typically pouring when the coffee liquid is about to drop to the surface of the coffee bed, using small, medium, and large water flows for three-stage extraction.

Disadvantages: Has higher requirements for water flow rate and volume.

FrontStreet Coffee's Nicaragua Coffee Hand-Pour Parameter Recommendations

Using a V60 dripper can enhance the layered flavor of hand-pour coffee, making it richer and cleaner; fully expressing the rich floral and fruity aromas of Nicaragua coffee with its soft fruit acidity.

15g of coffee, water temperature 89-90°C, grind BG 5R (China standard 20-mesh sieve pass rate 64%), water-to-coffee ratio close to 1:15

Method: 30g water for bloom, bloom time 30s. The hot water in the pour-over kettle is poured clockwise in circles centered on the middle of the dripper. Start timing when brewing begins, pour water to 30g, then stop pouring and wait for 30 seconds before the first pour.

For the first pour, circle like before, but the speed can be slightly slower, increasing speed when reaching the outer circles. Stop pouring at around 1:15 seconds. When the liquid level drops by 1/3, pour again. The second pour should be concentrated in the center, with water flow not hitting where the coffee grounds meet the filter paper to avoid channeling effects. End extraction at around 2:05 seconds; the tail section can be omitted (the longer the time, the more astringency and rough texture will increase).

Segments: 30-125-230g

Important Notice :

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Tel:020 38364473