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During the Taiwan International Coffee Show 2019, I met four Nicaraguan coffee exporters. After doing a cupping with them I decided to write an article about my findings on their Nicaraguan coffee samples. In part 2 I will discuss the H1 Centroamericano Washed, Honey washed and Natural.
Finca Las Promesas De San Blas.
Gonzalo Castillo Moreno is a well known farmer from Nicaragua and owner to Finca Las Promesas De San Blas. The farm is located in Nueva Segovia and has 67500 coffee plants. The varieties grown at the farm are the H1 Centroamericano, H3 Centroamericano, Caturra and Marsellesa. The farm is situated on an altitude between 1100 and 1300 meters above sea level and has a lot of trees and sunny slopes. The farm is relatively new, being bought in 2010 by Don Gonzalo. It is even more surprising to see that in 2018 Don Gonzalo won a great achievement. One of his coffees reached a staggering 90.42 points in the Cup Of Excellence in 2018. I was super excited to get to try out three of his samples: the H1 Centroamericano Natural, Washed and Honey Washed. Ill start with the Washed first.
Finca Las Promesas: H1 Centroamericano Washed.
The washed version of this coffee is the lesser of the three. Because the other two samples are so much better, I will have to assume it’s the roast that is a bit off.
When the coffee is hot you will get a clear note of vanilla and as it cools down, spices and cedar come up in wafts. Even though the vanilla is clear when its hot, the aroma fades away to the background quite quickly. The spices and cedar are not so strong on the nose.
The vanilla comes back in the flavour again and is sweet and clear. As the coffee cools down there is a hint of melon that flows over into a more darker nutty and wooden note. The coffee reminded me of cedar and sandalwood. The aftertaste is soft and carries notes of nuts and soft vanilla again. The body is very light, the citric acidity is light as well.
Finca Las Promesas: H1 Centroamericano Honey Washed.
The Honey Washed version of the H1 Centroamericano is a lot better than the washed. When the coffee is hot there is a hint of minty aroma, tropical fruits and sweet vanilla. These aroma’s remain throughout the drinking experience.
Drinking this coffee gives a lot to look for. When it’s hot, this coffee gives off a liqourice/salmiak flavour. It is there for a short while because the fruitiness is taking over real quick. In the warm and cool period of this coffee you will find clear notes of Galia melon, Pineapple and unripe pear. Lovely sweet notes.
The aftertaste brings a soft cocoa and even milky chocolate with a hint of spices. The acidity is citric bright and is quite good.
Finca Las Promesas De San Blas: H1 Centroamericano Natural.
I saved this version of the coffee for last because it was by far the best one I had…period. The aroma’s on this coffee is clear, fruity and intense. Vanilla is back again, a sweet berry jam, a floral note and chocolate.
Drinking this coffee is even more of a treat! When the coffee is hot, all flavours are already there. They only get more intense when the coffee cools off. Berries, Black Currant, Vanilla undertone…I even detected a hint of Jasmine on the coffee although faint.
The satin mouthfeel goes superbly with the bright acidity. The aftertaste lingers with vanilla and sweet milky chocolate that we know of some Panama and Costa Rican coffees. This is a very, very good coffee…especially when you think of the fact that this is a sample.
This was part 2 of the Nicaraguan Coffee Sample article. Nicaraguan coffees are on the rise and you get to see more and more of them each year. In my opinion the Nicaraguan coffees all have some similarities. Their coffee’s are balanced in terms of flavours and aroma’s. The acidities are not high and that makes the coffees easy drinkers. From what I have heard the coffee industry in Nicaragua is developing in a nice way and sustainability is also on the rise. I’m looking forward to drinking more Nicaraguan coffees in the future!