Nicaragua

After more than a decade of civil war, this diamond in the rough is beginning to shine in the cluttered Mild coffee basket of Central America. The years of battling between the Contras and Communist Sandinistas left the country's coffee fields to waste. Once a thriving industry, the need for fast cash outweighed the need to produce quality beans.

Now, through much pain staking effort by our partners in Nicaragua, Esperanza Coffee Group, the country's coffee is reclaiming its reputation and standing in Central America as an acidic, durable, and sweet coffee that rivals some of the best Strictly Hard Bean Coffees of Costa Rica and Guatemala.

The epicenter of this resurgence is taking place in the Segovia and Jinotega regions. Lush farms basking in an optimum climate and altitude ranging from 1,000 to 1,600 meters above sea level are flourishing as the specialty and gourmet markets are rediscovering these once forgotten coffees.

Before our joint venture with Esperanza Coffee Group, low grown and high grown coffees were mixed and left ot fetch what only the commercial roaster deemed them worth. Now, by educating producers about proper husbandry and processing, farmers are now producing premium quality coffee, fetching them greater rewards.

Esperanza Coffee Group is a family owned company managed by three brothers who are carrying on the family tradition of bringing to market durable and high quality coffee. With three strategically placed dry mills under their daily management, the men are providing farmers with the knowledge and channels to get their coffee to the Specialty and Gourmet markets, once an unattainable dream. By identifying optimum altitudes, soil condiditons and the characteristics of the coffees grown under the varied conditions, a basket of coffee brands are being produced sure to satisfy the most complicated of pallates.

"Apanas," the first of the coffees, grows at 1,000 meters producing a mildly acidic cup, with nice floral notes. "San Gabriel" perhaps the best combination of acidity, body, and floral notes is making its place in the specialty market, which is clamoring for viable SHB coffees in a shrinking producer market. The coffee is hand selected from reliable farms with elevations of more than 1,200 meters. "Nicaragua Estate" is a truly unique and special coffee. Only a select few farms produce coffee good enough to qualify for the "Estate" status. These coffees are hand selected to deliver sweet, floral notes, complimented by outstanding acidity. These coffees from a re-emerging origin rival some of the best Mild coffees found in Central America.