New Release | Nicaragua Washed Process & El Salvador La Guachoca
Nicaragua Washed Process from Finca Un Regalo de Dios
Washed process, single varietal bourbon from the subplot El Aserradero out of farm Un Regalo de Dios in Nicaragua. This light roasted coffee has notes of pear and citrus balanced with a delicate cane sugar and caramel body.
We welcome to our line up another offering from Un Regalo de Dios out of northern Nicaragua. Complementary to our recent release of the Nicaragua Dry Process, this coffee is also produced by Luis Alberto Balladarez but processed using the washed method.
Instead of drying the coffee cherries on patios with their skin and mucilage intact (also referred to as the “natural” process), washed process coffees are depulped to remove the cherry skin and much of the sticky mucilage that is bound to the coffee seed. The coffee is then fermented in water for a set time, which helps break down and “wash” the mucilage off of the seed before drying. This process creates a different flavor profile than if the exact same coffee was prepared for milling using the dry process technique.
What separates this coffee from other Nicaraguan coffees outside of Finca Un Regalo de Dios is the farm level commitment to coffee quality, farm longevity, and traceability. Alberto is focused on soil regeneration to ensure proper nutrients are available to his plants. This means the cherries have enough organic, added nutrients to ripen to the sweetest possible fruit. It also means that the plants are healthy enough to be passed down for generations to come, something Luis is actively planning for.
Alberto has an impeccable traceability system that keeps micro lots meticulously separated and accounted for throughout the harvesting, drying, and milling process. It is safe to say that Luis Alberto is obsessed with coffee quality throughout the entire process: from planting to harvesting to processing. His commitment and care of his coffees is evident as he has placed in Cup of Excellence 5 times, including placing 3rd most recently in 2022. OZO is proud to carry coffees from Un Regalo de Dios, an award-winning farm.
El Salvador Natural Process from Finca La Guachoca de Pacas
Dry processed red bourbon produced by the Pacas family out of farm La Guachoca. This coffee is rich in body and showcases notes of chocolate, Bing cherries, and dark caramel.
Finca La Guachoca, located between 1400 – 1600 masl (meters above sea level), has been a part of Café Pacas since 2008. With five generations of coffee farming under their belt, the success and quality of product that comes from Pacas family coffees are unmatched. Finca La Guachoca is named after a quail-like bird that inhabits the area. The diversity of shade, fruit, and coffee trees on this farm provides a home for these birds and also provides a secondary source of income for the Pacas family. Jocote is a fruit that is grown on this land and is harvested in September to be locally sold.
The Pacas family has worked hard to bring life back to this area. Located atop the now extinct Cerro Verde volcano in the Apaneca Ilamatepec mountain range, the area was once covered in ash and destruction after an eruption in 2005. The Pacas family saw potential in the fertile soil, altitude, and location and worked to bring the farm to life after they acquired the land in 2008. The slopes of the land combined with precious pruning of the native plants scattered about the farm, offer the coffee plants 70% of sunlight during the fruit's growth period and 30% of sunlight during the ripening period. In true Pacas fashion, everything is strategically done.
OZO’s El Salvador San Joaquin Honey is produced by the same family and therefore has the same community efforts for those who work for Café Pacas. All employees, no matter which farm, are supported with wellness programs and education opportunities.
This coffee is well balanced and can be enjoyed in so many forms. A staff favorite is this coffee in a flat white!