Producer: Teófilo José Narvaéz Rodríguez
Region: Jalapa, Nueva SegoviaElevation: 1200 - 1450 MASLVariety: Catuaí, Caturra, Maserllesa, Parainema, CatimorProcess: Natural
Tasting notes: Strawberry, malt and juicy
We're no stranger to Central American coffee here at Rinaldo's and this latest Nicaraguan offering is one of the best we've tried. The combination of different Arabica varietals that comprise this coffee make it a complex cup that evokes flavours of strawberry, malt and juice - it's a fruity one!
We think this one's best brewed as a filter so get your V60s out! If you're looking for a more unusual, fruity and lighter espresso then this Nicaraguan would be perfect.
The Producers
Teófilo, who is known as Don Teo by the coffee community, has been producing coffee for over 20 years. His farm, Fincas Las Marias, is named after the long line of Marias in his family, and most recently his daughter Maria.
At the humble beginnings of Don Teo's coffee journey he had no road access to his farm, but he didn't let that stop him. He would walk 2 hours every day from his home to get to the farm and would transport tools via horses and donkeys when building the main access road.
Don Teo says “I have learned that producing a lot is good, but that producing quality is better, both go hand in hand, you have to produce a product that makes you wake up every day and feel proud. Another thing I learned is that it is to become profitable to work to create a fund that allows one as a producer to work freely and invest”.
Don Teo's is dedicated to cultivating both traditional and hybrid varietals to produce high quality coffees in large yields to optimise productivity.
The Art of Production
This coffee is naturally processed. The coffee cherries are picked at their optimum ripeness and are fully dried on raised bed at the La Concordia dry mill. The beans are fermented for 26-30 hours, resulting in the coffee's malty and hoppy notes. Don Teo uses Ingas and native shade trees to emulate natural ecological relationships, in which the large canopy of shade trees provides protection for the coffee plants.
The Region
Finca Las Marias is situated in the Jalapa, Nueva Segovia Region of Nicaragua, close to the Honduras border. Nicaragua has a long history with coffee but over the past few years has become increasingly well known for top specialty coffee, due to the influence of producers like Don Teo.
