Nicaragua Coffee Regions Flavor Profile and Brewing Characteristics of Nicaraguan Coffee Beans

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When it comes to Nicaragua, what comes to mind is the Nicaragua Falls, but coffee is rarely mentioned. In fact, Nicaragua's growing conditions are no less favorable than those of Central American countries, and the coffee produced is characterized by its balanced flavor profile. FrontStreet Coffee recently obtained three varieties of Nicaraguan coffee beans, conducted roasting, cupping, and brewing comparisons, and ultimately found that "Professor" from Finca Un Regalo de Dios best exemplifies the characteristics of the Nicaraguan growing region.

Nicaragua Geography

Nicaragua is located in the central part of Central America, bordering Honduras to the north, Costa Rica to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. With a total area of 130,400 square kilometers, it is the largest country in Central America. The north-central part of Nicaragua consists of highlands; the eastern part is coastal plains with numerous jungle swamps and low, flat terrain; the western part consists of coastal lowlands with many volcanoes and lakes to the east.

The Nicaraguan plains have high temperatures and abundant rainfall, belonging to a tropical marine climate; the western coastal lowlands have significantly less precipitation than the eastern region, with distinct dry and wet seasons, belonging to a tropical savanna climate; the central highlands have an average annual temperature of 18°C and annual precipitation of 1500-2500 millimeters, with the rainy season lasting from May to December.

Coffee Cultivation History

Between 1840-1940, Nicaragua experienced a "coffee boom" as coffee became the country's main export crop. Later, dictator Somoza established coffee cooperatives (1936-1979), but they were soon overthrown by the Sandinista National Liberation Front. In 1979, Nicaragua entered communist rule, making coffee trade extremely difficult. The CIA began supporting Contras rebels in an attempt to overthrow the new regime. To gain greater interests, they attacked coffee workers' vehicles, destroyed processing plants, and created unrest, which dealt another major blow to Nicaragua's coffee industry. Despite this, coffee remained Nicaragua's most important export economic crop.

After the 20th century, Nicaragua experienced sharp declines in coffee prices (1999-2003), hurricanes, and the millennium drought. After 2003, Nicaragua experienced frequent civil wars until recent years when hostilities ceased, gradually restoring economic development, and the coffee industry began to revive.

Coffee Economic Crisis

Due to coffee prices plummeting to $89 per bag (45 kilograms per bag) in May 2019 and local coffee farmers' difficulty in obtaining credit support, coffee exporters predict that in the 2019/2020 season, the country's coffee production may decline by at least 15%. Even more pessimistic forecasts suggest coffee production could decline by more than 20%. In addition to the challenge of depressed international coffee prices, Nicaragua has been in a socio-political crisis since April 2018, which has led to massive capital flight, forcing banks to restrict credit across all economic sectors. Nicaragua's coffee industry is currently facing its most severe crisis in a decade.

Coffee Growing Regions

Nicaraguan specialty coffee is primarily grown in three northern regions near Honduras: Jinotega, Matagalpa, and Nueva Segovias, with growing altitudes ranging from 700-1700 meters. The varieties grown in these three regions are stable, with large bean sizes. FrontStreet Coffee believes that Nicaraguan regional flavors tend to be deeper, with sweet notes of chocolate and caramel, distinct almond aromas, and lower acidity, different from the typical bright, fruity acidity commonly associated with Central American coffees.

Jinotega

The name of this region and its capital both originate from the Nahuatl word "xinotencatl," meaning "city of old men." The region's economy has long depended on coffee, making it Nicaragua's main producing region. Altitude: 1100-1700m, Harvest period: December to March of the following year, Main varieties: Caturra, Bourbon.

Matagalpa

This is another region named after its capital city, which houses a coffee-themed museum, with coffee coming from estates and cooperatives. Altitude: 1100-1400 meters, Harvest period: December to February of the following year, Main varieties: Caturra, Bourbon.

Nueva Segovias

This region is located in northern Nicaragua's border area and has recently begun establishing a reputation for the best coffee in the country, achieving great success in the Nicaragua Cup of Excellence competition. Altitude: 1100-1650 meters, Harvest period: December to March of the following year, Main varieties: Caturra, Catuai, Bourbon.

Coffee Varieties

Nicaragua primarily grows the coffee varieties Caturra, Catuai, and Bourbon.

Bourbon

Bourbon is a natural mutation of Typica. The coffee cherries turn wine-red when ripe, and the coffee beans are relatively round in shape. Bourbon grown at high altitudes typically has excellent aroma and bright acidity, with flavor characteristics similar to red wine.

Caturra

Caturra is a natural mutation of Bourbon, discovered in Brazil in 1937. Its plant is not as tall as Bourbon, being more compact. As it inherits Bourbon lineage, it has relatively weak disease resistance but higher yields than Bourbon. Although discovered in Brazil, Caturra is not suitable for growing conditions there, so it was not cultivated on a large scale in Brazil. Instead, it became widely popular in Central and South America, with countries like Colombia, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua growing Caturra extensively.

Catuai

Catuai is a coffee variety created through artificial hybridization of Caturra and Mundo Novo. Catuai inherits Caturra's compact plant structure, requiring no shade, making it easy to grow and convenient to harvest. It also has superior resistance to natural disasters compared to Mundo Novo and offers excellent acidity in flavor. Catuai typically comes in two types: red fruit and yellow fruit.

Coffee Processing Methods

In natural processing, coffee cherries delivered to washing stations are first manually sorted to remove less dense defective cherries. The qualified cherries are then spread evenly on raised African beds for drying, with the natural drying process taking approximately 21 days. The coffee cherries are dried to a moisture content of about 12%. After completing the natural drying process, a hulling machine removes the cherry's skin, pulp, and parchment, after which it is packaged and stored. FrontStreet Coffee believes that naturally processed coffee has the lowest acidity, highest sweetness, clearest mouthfeel, but slightly lower cleanliness. In terms of flavor, it produces more berry-like notes and is more complex.

Coffee Bean Grading System

Nicaraguan coffee is graded according to cultivation altitude.

Strictly High Grown (SHG): 1500-2000m

High Grown (HG): 1300-1500m

Medium Grown (MG): 1000-1300m

Low Grown (LG): 500-1000m

As mentioned above, FrontStreet Coffee cupped three Nicaraguan coffee beans, with "Professor" from Finca Un Regalo de Dios best demonstrating almond characteristics.

Coffee Details

Country: Nicaragua

Region: Nueva Segovias

Estate: Finca Un Regalo de Dios

Altitude: 1450-1700 meters

Variety: Red Bourbon

Processing Method: Natural Process

Finca Un Regalo de Dios

Finca Un Regalo de Dios - meaning "A Gift from God" - is located in the municipality of Mozonte, Nueva Segovias, near the Dipilto-Jalapa mountain range and the border with Honduras. The estate owner, Luis Alberto Balladarez Moncada, in addition to this estate, also owns Finca La Bendición and Finca La Esperanza. Among these, Finca La Bendición won first place in the 2018 Nicaragua Cup of Excellence, while Finca Un Regalo de Dios also won the championship in the 2020 COE.

FrontStreet Coffee Roasting Suggestions

Enter the drum at 175°C with heat at 140, damper open at 3; return to temperature at 1'36", when the drum temperature reaches 130°C, open the damper to 4, maintaining the same heat; when the drum temperature reaches 150°C, the bean surface turns yellow, and the grassy aroma completely disappears, entering the dehydration phase; at 8'30", ugly wrinkles and black spots appear on the bean surface, the toast aroma clearly transitions to coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to first crack - at this point, listen carefully for the sound of first crack, which begins at 9'25", open the damper to 5, develop for 2'00" after first crack, then drop at 196°C.

FrontStreet Coffee Cupping Report

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Suggestions

Dripper: V60#01

Water Temperature: 90-91°C

Dose: 15g

Ratio: 1:15

Grind Size: Medium-fine grind (80% pass-through rate on Chinese standard #20 sieve)

Brewing Method: Three-stage extraction. Use 30g of water for a 30-second bloom, then pour in a small circular motion to 125g for the first pour. When the water level drops to just before exposing the coffee bed, continue pouring to 225g and stop. When the water level drops to just before exposing the coffee bed again, remove the dripper. Extraction time from the start of blooming is 1'50".

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