Nicaragua Red Bourbon

The small mountain forest area that is Finca Santa Maria de Lourdes has been owned by Octavio Peralta from 1970, and he began restoring the coffee production in 1994 once the UN had cleared the area of mines, after it had been a war zone for many years. This farm has obtained a rainforest alliance certification in recognition of Octavio's decision to reserve part of his land for the purpose of preserving the natural habitat, which plays a key role in the production of it's coffee. The farm sits in the Nueva Segovia region, which has some of the highest growing altitudes in Nicaragua. Characterised by the diverse range of vegetation and wildlife, these hills are often immersed in thick clouds and benefit from high levels of rainfall.

This coffee was produced using the natural process with an extended anaerobic fermentation, which means that after the cherries are picked, washed and sorted, they are placed into airtight tanks to ferment for up to 72 hours. Once the fermentation process is complete, they undergo a drying process on raised beds and moved 3 times a day to prevent spoilage, which may take up to 30 days.

The anaerobic process is an additional step in coffee processing which many speciality producers are now exploring. It can yield a wide range of flavour profiles, depending on the type of anaerobic press used, but generally results in coffees with a fuller body, and a winey flavour, with hints of tropical fruit, fermented cacao and floral notes; a bright and lively acidity is also a common characteristic.

For this particular Nicaraguan coffee, the unique origin and process brings out flavours of key lime pie, blueberry, red apple and malt.