Nicaragua Orange Maceration

Nicaragua is a country of volcanic mountains, fertile soils, beautiful waves and generations of coffee-growing tradition. It is also a country that has endured profound political and social upheaval since. Since the protests of 2018, Nicaragua has faced sustained political repression, restrictions on civic life, and growing international isolation, realities that have touched communities across the country. Yet beyond the headlines, farmers continue to cultivate the land, experiment with new ideas, and push Nicaraguan coffee forward. Finca Idealista is part of that story. Founded in 2007, Finca Idealista has grown into a collective of nearly 100 farms working together to connect exceptional coffees directly with roasters.

Since 2014, when we first sourced a Cup of Excellence winner from Nicaragua we knew this beautiful country had tremendous coffees to offer. And over the years we have featured some other stellar coffees from Nicaragua but it's been at least 4 years since it's been on our offerings list. We first cupped this Orange bomb of a coffee at the World of Coffee event in San Diego in March of this year. Ben and his team at Gold Mountain coffee had a booth at the Expo and were cupping this coffee alongside many others.  Before we even tasted the coffee we knew that their team have been putting in tremendous work at the farm level in Nicaragua for many years, so we've been eager to work with them. And once we cupped this orange maceration coffee we knew we had to source it & are so grateful to the team at Finca Idealista & Gold Mountain for helping us bring it to our guests. 

This Orange Maceration coffee reflects that spirit of experimentation. Whole cherries undergo a double anaerobic fermentation alongside thousands of oranges grown at Finca Idealista, then spend nearly 40 days slowly drying on raised beds. The result is an expressive, distinctly Nicaraguan coffee layered with tropical fruit and florals, bright tangerine, and juicy orange acidity. Dark chocolate and brown sugar add depth and sweetness, while a juicy body carries the vibrant fruit through a long finish. In a country shaped by both extraordinary landscapes and complicated circumstances, coffees like this offer another way to understand Nicaragua: through its farmers, its land, and the remarkable possibilities they continue to create.

How to Brew It:

This coffee should perform well using filter methods for more clarified flavors, or for more rounded and layered flavors, use immersion methods. Brew temperatures should be between 200 to 205, at a ratio of 1:15 or 1:16.