Farm info

Finca La Escondida is found in Nicaragua’s Jinotega department, located at the base of the same mountain as Fincas Las Delicias and San Jose, La Esondida’s partner farms in Fincas Mierisch. La Escondida is home to Fincas Mierisch’s varietal garden—which currently includes H1 Centroamericano, Yellow and Orange Pacas, Tekisic, Obata, Venecia, Pink Bourbon, SL-28, and Arara—where they test varieties before deciding whether they will add them to the production of their other farms. The farm includes 70 hectares of coffee production, with elevations spanning 975–1230 meters above sea level, and employs 25 permanent workers as well as an additional 180 employees during the harvest season.

Red Catuai makes up the greatest volume of any variety grown by Fincas Meirisch, and is common across many farms throughout Nicaragua. Despite being susceptible to most diseases which can harm coffee plants, Fincas Mierisch continues to plant this variety due to its cup quality. Red Catuai is also used as the “test variety” whenever Fincas Mierisch begins working with a new farm; because of their familiarity with the plant and its needs, it allows them to determine which other varieties will be best suited to each property.

This lot of Red Catuai underwent Washed processing. Ripe cherries were selectively harvested before being floated for sorting. The sorted cherries were pulped with the least amount of water possible in order to preserve the coffee’s mucilage. The pulped coffee was then dry fermented for 36 hours before being fully washed with clean water. The washed parchment was then transported to Beneficio Don Esteban in Matalgapa to be dried. Drying began on a patio, where the parchment coffee was covered with black polymeric netting which allows air to pass between the ground and the coffee in order to acheive even drying. The coffee was dried on the patios for two days in total sun exposure, and then moved to raised beds in a greenhouse where it was dried for 13 days with 75% shade exposure.