Farm info

San Jose was purchased in 2003. Owned by a local bank, it was abandoned when it first came up for sale. Despite this, the altitude and a soil analysis commissioned by the new owners showed that the farm had great potential. The farm boasts a soil with a pH level of 6, which helps different varieties assimilate better to the nutrients found in the soil. Typically, farmers match a specific varietal with the available nutrients in the soil, but this unique ability to assimilate allows nearly any variety to thrive and produce high-quality coffee on this farm. 

Upon acquiring San Jose, Mierisch’s recognized the farm’s unique potential and began cultivating a variety of coffee plants. They planted Javanica, Yellow and Red Pacamara, Gesha, Caturra, Ethiosar, Red Catuai, and Yellow & Red Pacas. Each varietal thrived in the rich, balanced soil, resulting in exceptional coffee. San Jose shares a wet mill with the nearby farm, La Escondida, ensuring that the processing of their diverse coffee varieties is handled with care and precision. 

Fincas Mierisch’s Java variety comes with a storied history. In 2001, members of the Mierisch family came across a roadside fruit vendor on their way home from one of their farms. Upon stopping to purchase fruit, they noticed a bag labeled “java,” and enquired about its contents. The vendor claimed that the bag contained coffee seeds of the famous Java variety, and despite being skeptical that these were truly authentic they took a chance and purcahsed the seeds.  

After planting the seeds and caring for the plants, the family was pleased to discover that these coffee trees were indeed the longberry Java variety, and they went on to establish a plot of the trees at their Finca El Limoncello, earning 2nd place in Nicaragua’s 2007/2008 Cup of Excellence, as well as 4th place in 2017 with coffee grown at Finca Las Delicias. Originally believed to be a mutation of Typica, genetic testing has since found the variety to be an Ethiopian heirloom taken from the country to the island of Java where it got its name. Today, Fincas Mierisch calls the coffee “Javanica” to represent the variety’s new Nicaraguan home. 

This lot of Javanica underwent natural processing. 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 it 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.