Nicaragua El Bosque

• Country: Nicaragua
• Region:  Segovia, Nueva, Ocotal
• Farm: Finca El Bosque
• Variety: Yellow Catuai
• Processing:  Natural
• Altitude: 1600 MASL 

Roaster's story:

Finca El Bosque is managed by Julio Peralta and located in the picturesque area of Ocotal, nestled near the Dipilto-Jalapa mountain range, which forms the border between Nicaragua and Honduras. Despite its turbulent past during the civil war, Nueva Segovia has evolved into a hub for Cup of Excellence winners in recent years.

Their farms produce exceptional coffee, with the harvest taking place from December to April. The higher altitude parts of the mountains experience a later harvest. Nicaragua is an intriguing player in the specialty coffee industry, employing traditional methods alongside modern processing techniques, such as yellow and red honeys. While wet processing occurs on the farms in the mountains, the coffee is transported to a centralized Dry Mill for drying, capitalizing on the favorable climate change an hour down the mountain. The farms are managed centrally from the Mill where the agronomist Edwin goes out to visit them each day of the week. 

The Peraltas were pioneers in producing micro lots, drawing on knowledge from Guatemala and adapting it to the Nicaraguan context. Over the years, micro lots have been introduced from all five farms - El Bosque, Santa Maria de Lourdes, Samaria, La Argentina, and La Cascada.

On the Peralta farms, the concept of micro lots centers on a small volume of coffee picked on the same day from a specific farm plot. The criteria encompass the day of picking and the geographical location, emphasizing coffee varieties and micro-climates. Natural divisions like mountain sides, streams, and forested areas guide the separation of sections. The altitude, shade, and biodiversity play a vital role in protecting the coffee plants, drawing inspiration from Ethiopia's forests, the coffee plant's birthplace.

Different varieties thrive at varying altitudes; for instance, Catuai performs well at around 1200 meters above sea level (m.a.s.l.), while Bourbon plants find optimal protection against certain diseases at elevations of at least 1400 m.a.s.l. This careful attention to altitude and micro-climate ensures that each lot delivers unique and exceptional flavors, reflecting the richness of Nicaragua's coffee heritage.