Named after the Limoncillo, a small type of lemon growing on the farm when it was purchased in 1930, Limoncillo is the second oldest coffee farm in the Fincas Mierisch group. It was acquired after one of the grandfathers transitioned from military academy to civilian life. Initially, Typica was the only varietal grown, but due to climate change, market instability, and vulnerability to coffee leaf rust, the farm diversified its varietals and prioritized quality over quantity.
The Matagalpa region was a primary settlement area for German immigrants in Nicaragua, many of whom, including the Mierisch family, became involved in coffee production. The family’s great-great grandfather, Bruno Mierisch, arrived in the late 1800s to help build the national railroad. When the government couldn’t pay him, he was given land instead. His first farm, Las Lajas in Matagalpa, began coffee production around 1908 due to government incentives promoting coffee cultivation.
Limoncillo offers child daycare services and has its own primary school and clinic on-site. Child labor is strictly prohibited, and children are provided free meals during the harvest. Discrimination of any kind is not permitted on the farm. Limoncillo generates renewable energy through hydro-powered turbines.
Annual training in better agricultural practices has helped improve yield and cup quality while reducing production costs.
Mierisch’s team obtained Red Bourbon from El Salvador in the mid-90s, and it has been one of the varietals they have worked with the most over the years. Despite being susceptible to all major diseases and having lower yield production compared to other varietals, they continue to grow it because of its excellent and approachable cup profile. Red Bourbon is also the variety they use for experimenting with new processes and fermentations, such as Anaerobic at Low Temperature.
This lot was processed as full natural. The natural process begins at the farm by only selecting optimally ripe cherries. These are floated and then carefully transported to the dry mill where they are then spread as a thin layer on plastic tarps. These cherries are carefully moved within their assigned space approximately three times a day. We always make sure we do not damage the cherry while they are moved.
Then the coffee this moved ti Don Esteban dry mill, 45 minutes away from the farm. They do not dry coffee on concrete patios. Instead, they place a thick layer of parchment on the ground, covered with a black polymeric net that allows air to pass between the ground and the coffee, ensuring a more even dryness. This Bourbon dried on the tarps for the first four days under full sunlight to prevent over fermentation or mold growth. After this initial drying period, it was transferred to raised beds where it dried with 75% shade for an additional 26 days until it reached a humidity range of 12% or below. The total drying time for this lot was 30 days.
Once dried, the coffee cherries are moved to the warehouse where they stabilize as dried cherries for a month to homogenize the humidity in the beans. After this period, the dried cherries are milled, and the “oro” or green beans are allowed to stabilize for another month before export. This additional month of resting diminishes the harsh notes often found in naturals and allows the flavors to balance out. The slow drying process also extends the shelf life of the beans by keeping the embryo alive for as long as possible.