Nicaragua San Juan del Rio Coco Organic

A delicious coffee from the Mancotal co-op in the Jinotega region of Nicaragua. Notes of cocoa powder and almond with a creamy texture.

Arrival Date:  December 28th, 2018

Brightness & Acidity: Moderately bright and crisp with a touch of sweetness

Balance & Finish: Balanced with a nutty finish

Body & Texture: Full bodied with a creamy texture

Flavor Traits:  Cocoa powder, almond

Grade: SHB (Strictly hard bean) 

Certifications: Organic, fair trade, SMBC

Processing:  Fully washed

Varietals: Typica, Caturra, Catuai

Roasting:  Start with a  Full City (Medium), or just up to the second crack.  Like most Central and South American SHB coffees, this Nicaraguan will accept a wide variation in roast profiles and still deliver a very acceptable cup.  If you can't hear the cracks, then roast until the beans are smooth and medium dark brown with just the first hint of sheen as the oil emerges.  This coffee roasts pretty evenly. 

Recommendation:  This is a great breakfast cup but also works well in a blend to add dark chocolate and a richer mouthfeel. Also great as a smooth single-origin espresso.

Reminder:  This coffee is raw.  You have to roast it before brewing.

Our Review: Nicaragua is a beautiful country of active volcanoes, beautiful beaches on both the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans and a rich multiethnic culture. It's also home to some of the best coffee Central America has to offer. The coffee market in Nicaragua was rocky during the 80's due to the Nicaraguan Revolution, but since things settled down in the 90's the farmers there have made a huge comeback. Coffee now makes up almost 20% of Nicaraguan exports with most of that coffee coming from either the Matagalpa or Jinotega regions. 

We've had some amazing coffee from Matagalpa, including our Direct Trade Nicaraguan Finca de las Nubes, so we thought we'd give Jinotega a try. This coffee comes from the Union de Cooperativas Agropecuarias de Servicios Unidos de Mancotal (UCASUMAN) Co-op. Besides having a long name, this co-op was formed in 2001 and is a union of just over 400 members comprised of both male and female coffee farmers. Several of the farmers also grow grains and raise cows in an effort to diversify and increase the quality of life for their workers and communities. The fair trade premium on this coffee allows the co-op to invest back into the community through training and social development initiatives. Good coffee doing good things, that's what we like!

Now on to the nitty gritty! This coffee is a blend of Typica, Caturra and Catuai varietals and is wet-processed in the typical Central American style. It's full of dark chocolate with a little bit of nuttiness and a creamy mouthfeel. You can count on it for a great breakfast cup, a smooth single-origin espresso or an excellent blender. You can also expect it to roast evenly and go anywhere from medium to dark pretty well since it's a dense stricly high grown bean. Don't take it too dark though or you'll lose that nutty creaminess!