Nicaragua Coffee Region Java Beans - Lemon Tree Estate Java Nicaragua Coffee Beans Brewing Flavor

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How did Erwin Mierisch, owner of Limoncillo Estate, accidentally save the once-endangered Java coffee variety through an act of kindness? This article explores the story between Limoncillo Estate and the Java coffee variety.

FrontStreet Coffee — Java Nica Coffee Beans from Limoncillo Estate

Origin: Nicaragua, Matagalpa
Altitude: 850m—1150m
Variety: Java Nica
Processing: Low-temperature anaerobic natural

Nicaragua

Nicaragua is located in central 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. Nicaragua's terrain features numerous volcanoes that have covered the land with mineral-rich volcanic soil. The diverse climates brought by different regions, combined with shaded cultivation methods, have established excellent production conditions. The Jinotega, Matagalpa, and Nueva Segovia regions are the main origins of Nicaraguan specialty coffee. Through cupping Nicaraguan coffee, FrontStreet Coffee found that its fresh aroma, soft acidity, and excellent balance of aftertaste and bitterness are the characteristics of coffee from this producing country.

Matagalpa Region

Matagalpa province is the most populous and second-largest area in northern Nicaragua, with cool climate and diverse ecology, creating natural conditions suitable for coffee cultivation. Altitude: 600-1,300 meters, average temperature: 20-30℃, annual rainfall: 1,500-1,700 millimeters. The harvesting season in this region runs from November to March of the following year. Limoncillo Estate is situated in the 850m-1150m area of this region. Coffee trees planted in this area are often surrounded by tall coniferous forests, providing shade for the coffee trees' growth. This allows coffee trees to receive sunlight while preventing the plants from being scorched by the harsh sun, which is why the coffee produced here has delicate and mild flavors.

Limoncillo Estate

Limoncillo Estate is located in the Matagalpa highlands. The estate features steep, rising terrain with abundant water sources. To ensure coffee quality, owner Erwin Mierisch uses manual harvesting methods during the coffee cherry picking stage, selecting fully ripe fruits one by one. Harvesting typically requires three rounds to complete.

Although manual picking is costly and inefficient, it maximally protects the plants from damage during harvesting while ensuring that ripe fruits have better sweetness.

What is Java Nica?

The Java variety was once endangered. This variety originates from Java Long Berry, from Java Island, Indonesia. This variety can still be found on Java Island, but production is limited. Due to poor disease resistance, local farms have gradually switched to other varieties.

The Java variety resembles Typica in appearance. Most Java varieties seen in Indonesia are of the shortberry type, with longberry varieties being rarer. The variety has a rare appearance but offers very clean and delicate flavors. However, the Java Nica variety saved by Limoncillo Estate is closer to the Java Long Berry, with slender, curved beans.

The Accidental Rescue of Java Nica

In 2001, the estate owner and his father were driving to visit another estate owner. On their return journey, they passed by an experimental station of the United Coffee Organization when someone tried to stop their car. Erwin said he wanted to drive away directly, but his father insisted on stopping to see if help was needed. It turned out that this person worked at the experimental station, which was forced to close due to funding shortages. The station had no cash to provide severance pay and had no choice but to stop passing vehicles to ask if anyone could help buy the seeds and tools from the laboratory so they could pay severance to the workers.

Erwin's father agreed without hesitation. At that time, there was a bag of seeds at the experimental station labeled "Java," which didn't arouse much curiosity because the Java variety was unfamiliar to most Nicaraguan coffee farmers. Erwin didn't think it was worth spending effort on an unknown variety. After returning to their own estate, Erwin's father carefully examined these seeds and planted them to grow seedlings. When the seedlings sprouted, he took them to scholars from the 1980s experimental station.

After careful research and confirmation, the scholars determined that the seeds Erwin and his father had accidentally acquired were indeed the Java variety. She said with excitement: "Java is a great variety, but it was once endangered and deserves careful cultivation! It's worth noting that this variety has low yield and poor disease resistance, but excellent flavor, requiring meticulous care."

Owner Erwin later recalled that his father's act of kindness, which he didn't think much of at the time, along with the scholars' timely confirmation and suggestions, led Erwin to win second place in his first participation in the Nicaragua Cup of Excellence in 2008. The bidding price even surpassed that year's champion, making Nicaraguan Java famous overnight. It sparked huge discussions in the coffee world because this coffee bean met multiple demands: rarity, excellent flavor, and a compelling story.

Low-temperature Anaerobic Natural Processing

Low-temperature anaerobic natural processing, also known as anaerobic fermentation low-temperature slow natural drying. First, the harvested coffee cherries are placed in sealed containers for fermentation for 4-5 days. Then, the fermented coffee cherries are evenly spread on drying beds in a greenhouse, controlling the room temperature to allow them to dry gradually.

The Nicaraguan low-temperature anaerobic natural processed Java coffee beans that FrontStreet Coffee acquired have pale green raw beans and emit grassy aromas, slight fermented wine fragrance, and sweet and sour cherry flavors.

FrontStreet Coffee Roasting Recommendations

Preheat to 180℃, set heat to 130, air damper to 3; Return temperature at 1'32", when temperature reaches 130℃, open air damper to 4, heat unchanged; When temperature reaches 151.6℃, the bean surface turns yellow, grassy aroma completely disappears, entering the dehydration stage. At 7'56", ugly wrinkles and black patterns appear on the bean surface, toast aroma clearly transforms to coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this point, listen carefully for the sound of first crack. At 8'30", first crack begins, open air damper to 5. Develop for 1'10" after first crack, discharge at 193℃.

FrontStreet Coffee Cupping Report

Dry Aroma: Chocolate, spices
Wet Aroma: Berries
Flavor: Lemon, licorice candy, honey, fermented tea

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Tips

Dripper: V60#01
Water Temperature: 90-91℃
Dose: 15g
Ratio: 1:15
Grind: Medium-fine (79% passing through China standard #20 sieve)

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Method: Three-stage extraction. Use 30g of water for a 30-second bloom. When water injection reaches 125g with a small circular flow, create a break. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 225g and stop. Wait until the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, then remove the dripper (timing starts from the bloom). Extraction time is 1'57".

Brewing Flavor: At high temperatures, the bright acidity of lemon and the sweet aroma of honey. As it gradually cools, a black tea-like fermented tea sensation emerges, with complex fruit juice notes that provide a full feeling on the palate, finishing with a licorice candy-like aftertaste.

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