CASABLANCA

DIPILTO, N.S. - NICARAGUA

SERGIO ORTEZ

PacamarÁ

1400 masl

ANAEROBIC PULPED NATURAL

ROASTED ALMOND & WALNUT, UMAMI NOTES

This Pacamara from Sergio Ortez is a slight departure from the usual lots we’ve worked with over the years — but fret not — it carries the signature profile that makes all his coffees so unique. Over the past decade or so, Sergio has eschewed traditional and local methods of processing, coming up with a series of processes that created unique and exceptional coffees. He progressively made things more complex, more granular in his sorting, to isolate and perfect the quality of fruit going into the fermentation process. One of outcomes of this tinkering was his signature “Ámbar” process which is an adjustment of anaerobic processing — partially in cherry, partially after depulping. This has led to other rift on this type of processing, and that’s what we have here for you today. 

This Pacamara (something Sergio has worked hard to keep up) is from his family’s oldest farm, Casablanca, in the foothills of the Dipilto mountain range — with plots going as high as 1550masl at the farm’s highest points. This lot is essentially a pulped natural that went through an extended anaerobic fermentation before being set out to dry. The result is a “classic” Sergio coffee, with a few twists. Lovely open aromas that are delicate, fruited, and indeed some more aromas of salted caramel. 

On the palate there is a clean and juicy body that creates a pleasantly full feeling on the palate. It’s clean and concise, with a twist — the roasted almond and walnut notes lead into a subtle umami note that reminds us of dashi.

SAN BERNARDO TÍPICA

FRAIJANES - GUATEMALA

JULIO GANDARA

TíPICA

1385 MASL

DRY DEPULPED, washed, and sun dried on raised beds

CITRUS, STONE FRUIT, HONEY WHEAT, DARK CHOCOLATE

Located just a short drive from the capital, Fraijanes is a coffee growing region originally planted by the Jesuits, who brought the coffee plant to Guatemala. The coffees tend to be aromatically intriguing, and charming in their body and mouthfeel. Julio, who has taken over the family farm, first planted in 1967, has focused on quality in the recent years — and sustainability. The farm is home to more than just coffee, with a large planting of fruit trees, including a large variety of citrus, and a rather impressive beekeeping operation.

This tiny lot is the first we bring in from Julio’s farm, despite the fact that we met and visited for the first time before the pandemic. Típica, more or less the original variety brought to the Americas, has long been beloved for its delicate and aromatic qualities, despite being a bit difficult to grow and low-yielding in today’s environment. This typical is quite classic - subtle notes of citrus, blossoms, and stone fruit come in at first with a sweet honeysuckle type character followed by a honey-wheat and dark chocolate finish. It is at once distinctly Guatemalan, and also quite expressive of the variety. We opted for a light touch on this one - just enough development to capitalize on the body and sweetness whilst maximizing the aromatics.

BUENOS AIRES

MACUELIZO, N.S. - NICARAGUA

LUIS EMILIO VALLADARES

MARACATURRA

1300-1450 MASL

DRY DEPULPED, washed, and sun dried on raised beds

NECTARINE, COFFEE BLOSSOM, DATE SYRUP

The Buenos Aires farm is unusually planted to an extraordinary amount of the maracaturra variety. Long ago the Valladares family made a commitment to its cultivation and it has really paid off. This was one of the original coffees Café Integral imported back in 2013, and it remains one of our favorites. Despite being classified within the greater Dipilto region, the namesake farm is indeed in the hamlet of “Buenos Aires” situated in the Macuelizo district. There the weather is warm and dry, accentuated with a mixture of acidic sandy and red clay soils that lend signature lifted aromas of sweet wheat, and warm spices like cinnamon, all spice and honeycomb. 

The maracaturra is such a unique variety - with its dynamic combination of floral, tropical, and classic nuttier bass notes. This microlot is a special selection of a day’s picking that stood out from its peers.

Though a classic wash, the house style for this process is often to leave a slight bit of mucilage on the fruit, which lends the coffee a rounding and fruited quality that perfectly complements the characteristic varietal notes. 

This coffee needs little in the way of makeup - we have chosen a well–developed roast that aims at coaxing a little more sweetness and body to balance the bright and floral notes without toning down any of its exotic brilliance.

MONTE LÍBANO

DIPILTO, nueva segovia - nicaragua

luis emilio valladares

CATURRA

1400 MASL

Fully washed, dried on shaded patios

red fruits, apricot, dark chocolate, tobacco

A new farm we are working with this harvest is Monte Líbano - recently acquired by the Valladares family in the western slopes of Dipilto, Nueva Segovia, in the hamlet of La Laguna. Monte Líbano consists of a relatively small planting of about 14 hectares with mostly old Caturra varieties, handsomely spaced as they climb up the hills. The slopes are steeper here and the soils a bit sandier than the dense clay at lower altitudes - they retain less water and drain more quickly. This, paired with a cooler overall climate creates for a livelier acid profile along with a more delicate expression of fruit in the cup. It receives a straight forward washed process with a water-assisted depulping followed by a dry fermentation. The coffee is finally dried on raised beds slowly to retain its delicacy.

The result is impressive and classically Dipilto - intense orange and red fruits in the palate with a dark chocolate and roasted almond backbone. The body is always unique as well, with a distinctive grip and texture to it that these volcanic areas tend to bring to the mix.

We look forward to seeing the progress this farm makes over the next couple of years - the Valladares family has undertaken an effort to renovate about 5 hectares and replant some of the older plants that are on their last legs.