Nicaragua Finca Los Congos

Estate Information

Estate: Finca Los Congos

Region: Nueva Segovia

Variety: Villa Sarchi

Altitude: 1350-1650m

Processing Method: Natural

Grade: SHG

Region Introduction

Nicaragua's growing conditions are comparable to those of other Central American countries. Coffee grown at high altitudes with shade produces a well-rounded, balanced cup with mellow acidity. The main factors preventing its recognition have been war and hurricane damage, which made it difficult for individual farms to operate sustainably and left no historical records for green coffee buyers to trace farm information. It wasn't until after 2003, when the negative factors affecting coffee quality were eliminated and transportation infrastructure was fully developed, that high-quality coffees began to emerge.

All Nicaraguan coffee is grown in fertile volcanic soil. SHG (Strictly High Grown) refers to the highest quality grade harvested at altitudes between 1,500 and 2,000 meters.

The local climate is characterized by high mountain terrain with year-round dense fog covering the entire mountain forest, creating a cool and humid environment. Years of varietal crossbreeding and evolution, combined with adherence to traditional time-consuming processing methods, preserve natural fruit acidity and rich aroma. Shade-grown cultivation ensures even sunlight exposure, allowing coffee cherries to grow slowly while indirectly absorbing moisture from the fog. Consequently, these coffee beans exhibit lively and complex flavor profiles. Such excellent growing conditions produce coffee with subtle acidity and smooth characteristics. When savored carefully, one can detect faint fruit and chocolate sweetness in the throat, with rich body and multi-layered aftertaste.

About Nueva Segovia: This region, located in northern Nicaragua near the Honduran border, was explored by Spaniards as early as 1525 in search of gold mines. In recent years, it has begun to establish the best reputation for coffee within the country, achieving great success in the Cup of Excellence competition. Coffee averages above 1,500 meters altitude, and unique flavor conditions make this mountainous region, with its Cordillera mountain range branches, a treasure trove of specialty coffee.

Estate Details

As one of Nicaragua's best coffee-producing regions, Los Congos Estate is located in the town of San Fernando, Nueva Segovia, in northern Nicaragua near the Honduran border. This area is Nicaragua's highest-altitude coffee-producing region. On the other side lies Honduras's best coffee-producing region as well.

Finca Los Congos is one of the few self-sufficient estates that raises livestock, harvests timber, and produces organic fertilizer from coffee cherries, enabling completely chemical-free cultivation and processing. It enjoys the unique advantages of Central America—abundant water resources and excellent water quality for coffee cultivation, plus excellent volcanic soil. Large arable land areas allow for crop rotation, letting soil rest appropriately to maintain fertility. Additional advantages include high-altitude shade cultivation and drip-washing technology. The harvest period requires two years of care, resulting in higher costs.

Estate owner Rene Martin inherited the farm from his father Jose Liu Ruoying. The main varieties are Caturra and Pacamara. The estate's Pacamara was the runner-up in the 2009 Cup of Excellence. Martin's father planted Pacamara from El Salvador based on a friend's recommendation due to its productivity and cold resistance.

Coffee Variety

About Villa Sarchi: This variety is a Bourbon mutation. This Bourbon dwarf natural mutant was discovered in Costa Rica between 1950-1960, followed by pedigree selection (selecting individual plants through successive generations). However, this variety was not widely cultivated in Costa Rica but was introduced to Honduras in 1974 by the Honduran Coffee Institute (IHCAFE).

Like Caturra and Pacas, this variety is caused by a single gene mutation resulting in dwarf plants. It offers medium cup quality, small beans, and medium yield similar to Caturra, with high nutrient requirements. It is susceptible to coffee leaf rust, berry disease, and nematodes. Suitable for cultivation above 1,300 meters altitude.

Processing Method

This coffee uses the natural processing method. Natural processing is the oldest and most original method for coffee beans, where harvested coffee cherries are placed on patios—or sometimes directly exposed by the roadside—to receive direct sunlight (approximately 27-30 days) until moisture content reduces from 60% to about 12%. Beans processed using this method exhibit the lowest acidity, noticeable sweetness, and high body but slightly lower clarity.

Roasting Profile Analysis

When FrontStreet Coffee's roaster examined this bean and understood its basic green coffee information, they decided to use a lower charge temperature and then gradually reduce the heat with medium flame to roast this bean.

Roaster: Yangjia 800N (300g batch size)

When the roaster temperature reached 170°C, beans were immediately charged with heat at 130 and damper at 3. The turning point was at 1'36". When the temperature reached 140°C, the damper was opened to 4 with unchanged heat. At 153.3°C, the bean surface turned yellow, grassy aroma completely disappeared, entering the dehydration stage. When the temperature reached 166°C, heat was adjusted to 110 with unchanged damper.

At 8'28", the bean surface showed ugly wrinkles and black spots, with toast aroma clearly transitioning to coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this point, one must listen carefully for the first crack sound. First crack began at 9'21", damper adjusted to 4. After first crack, development time was 1'50", with discharge at 195°C.

Agtron bean color value: 69.8 (upper image). Agtron ground color value: 80.3 (lower image). Roast Delta value: 10.5.

Cupping Notes

Flavor Profile: Floral, citrus, berries, cream, peanuts

1. Flavor descriptions vary by individual and are influenced by water temperature and brewing methods. This cupping report provides descriptions limited by the flavor wheel under identical brewing equipment and parameters, intended for reference purposes.

2. Content is updated promptly with new information. The latest updates should be considered as current.

Brewing Recommendations

For this coffee, FrontStreet Coffee recommends pour-over brewing.

Dripper: Hario V60
Water Temperature: 90°C
Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:15
Grind Size: Medium-fine (BG6M: 58% pass-through rate on China standard #20 sieve)
Brewing Method:分段式萃取 (分段萃取 - this appears to be a specific brewing technique, but the exact English translation isn't clear from context)

Flavor: Aroma of fermentation, with notes of nuts, berries, and cream upon entry. At slightly lower temperatures, dark chocolate emerges. The aftertaste carries a faint fermented aroma. Overall, this coffee presents a full-bodied and balanced cup.

Important Notice :

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Tel:020 38364473