Nicaragua has its eye on the future

In the 1970s a man named Daniel Ortega was instrumental in overthrowing the dictator Anastasio Somoza. He served as president through the 1980s, remaining in politics to eventually be elected president again in 2006. But the Daniel Ortega of 2006 was a very different man. His administration became increasingly autocratic and today, the streets of Nicaragua are regularly filled with violent protests, where young Nicaraguans, draped in their country’s flag, call for Ortega to end what they believe has become a dictatorship.

A woman stands near a burning barricade holding the national flag of Nicaragua.

Sadly, Nicaragua has struggled with its government for years. But Nicaraguans have something worth fighting for. They are blessed with a rich cultural history, beautiful rainforests, access to the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, rich volcanic soil (from their twenty-six volcanos), a large supply of clean geo-thermal energy, and the potential to be one of the world’s most desirable coffee origins.

Coffee is a strong tradition in Nicaragua. Despite instability, the government has been promoting the coffee industry since the 1840s. But just like Nicaragua’s government, the industry suffered from its own issues. Nicaragua is the second poorest nation in the western hemisphere, and with lots of farmers relying on commodity coffee prices, coffee wasn’t doing the country many favors. This month’s farmers at Fincas Mierisch saw this problem back in the 1990s and set out to transition their commodity coffee into specialty coffee. They learned how to improve quality and garner a better price and then sought to help others do the same.

Erwin Mierisch of Fincas Mierisch

A few months back, City Boy interviewed Erwin Mierisch, one of the the five members of the Mierisch family to operate Fincas Mierisch. Erwin got involved with the Alliance for Coffee Excellence and was instrumental in organizing Nicaragua’s first Cup of Excellence competitions. Through workshops and competition, ACE is able to educate farmers to help them improve the prices they receive and also reward those who produce remarkable coffees. The other members of his family, Doc, Eleane, Steve, and “Wingo” have also dedicated themselves to learning and sharing their knowledge with others in the industry.

Nicaragua as a whole has gone from being an often glossed over Central American origin, to being seen as an exciting up and comer in the coffee world. In 2020, one of the farmers to enter in the Nicaraguan Cup of Excellence competition received a score above 90 (out of a possible 100). This year, seven farmers achieved that honor, a sign of how fast the industry is maturing. It is our hope that Nicaragua will see continued success in both coffee and their attempts to secure free and fair elections and true democracy. Their efforts are inspiring and we are rooting for them.

One of the Mierisch family’s farms in Matagalpa, Nicaragua

The Coffee

This month’s coffee is processed by cold carbonic maceration. Where washed coffee is fermented in an open tank, a cold carbonic macerated coffee is fermented in a sealed, carbon rich environment over the course of weeks. It can add very interesting flavors to a coffee. In showcasing Nicaragua, we wanted to share a traditional Nicaraguan cup profile and we didn’t expect that we’d find it in a cold carbonic coffee. However, in this case, the coffee has subtle winey notes just below the surface of what is otherwise a very traditional coffee. We taste chocolate, cinnamon, and wine.

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Chocolate Bonbons

Flavor profile
rich and luscious
chocolate, cinnamon, wine

roast

Roast
medium-dark

Cold carbonic maceration

Process
cold carbonic maceration

Matagalpa Mountains

Altitude
840 – 970 meters

Yellow Catuaí Coffee

Variety/Cultivar
Catuai, Caturra
Cup Score: 89

Producer
Fincas Mierisch
Los Placeres,
Matagalpa
Relationship Established: 2021

Nicaraguan Flag

Country
Nicaragua

Transparency
Green: $13.58/kg
Production: $8.973/kg

Comparative Market
Coffee Market (5/2/2020): $3.175/kg (update)
Fair Trade Price (5/2/2020): $3.65/kg (update)

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