This coffee really blew me away once I gave it about 7-9 days to open up. The complexity of the cup and sweetness was really what stood out. It has a creamy citrusy aroma, with this vanilla sweetness that really makes for a lovely brew. I think as a filter you definitely can't go wrong but as a turbo shot espresso it really brings those citrus notes to light once dialed in.

Limoncillo

Coffee Terroir

• Origin: Nicaragua
• Region: Matagalpa
  
• Farm: Limoncillo
• Producer: Fincas Mierisch
• Varietal: Java
• Process: Cold Natural Anaerobic
• Altitude: 850-1100M
  

Coffee Story

About the Producer

Named after the Limoncillo (Spanish lemon or Mamon) that was already growing on the farm when it was purchased. It was bought in 1930, after one of our grandfathers had transferred from the military academy to civilian life. Limoncillo is the second oldest coffee farm in the Fincas Mierisch group (Los Placeres is the first). Typica was the only variety grown on the farm until the mid-1990s, but due to climate change, unstable market prices and vulnerability to coffee leaf rust, we decided to diversify our varieties and prioritize quality over quantity.

All their farms provide childcare for our workers and have access to elementary schools. Limoncillo, however, has its own elementary school and clinic.

Processing

Anaerobic fermentation simply means fermentation without the presence of oxygen. We placed perfectly ripe, freshly picked cherries in barrels and covered them with a lid. Importantly, we ensured that the lid sealed the barrel hermetically to prevent oxygen from escaping. We attached an airlock to the lid to vent the carbon dioxide produced by the cherries during fermentation;

Next, we placed the barrels in a 6m x 9m x 3m cold room we built inside our warehouse. It's powered by two industrial air conditioners that keep the temperature between 6 and 10 degrees Celsius. We leave the cherries to ferment for 48 hours. After spending 48 hours in the cold room, the cherries are spread out in a thin layer on our patio, under 100% sunlight, where they will spend the first 4 days. Because of the initial fermentation phase, our aim in leaving the cherries under sunlight for the first few days is to halt fermentation in order to prevent over-fermentation or mold formation. The cherries are moved 3 or 4 times a day, always taking care not to damage them. After spending 4 days on our terrace, they were transferred to African beds inside a greenhouse. The cherries continued to dry in 50% shade for 12 days, then in 75% shade for a further 16 days. Total drying time was 32 days for this batch, and we stopped drying when they reached a moisture level below 12%. Once the cherries had reached the desired moisture level, they were transported inside our well-ventilated warehouse, where they stabilized for a month as dried cherries. This allows us to homogenize the moisture content of all the cherries. We then proceeded to hull the dried cherries, and let the “oro”, or green beans, rest/age for a further month. This second resting period allows the flavors to come into balance. After two months' rest, the beans are ready for export. Anaerobic fermentation promotes the growth of microbes that don't need oxygen to carry out their metabolic process, by creating an oxygen-free atmosphere and controlling temperature. These microbes include lactic acid and yeasts such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae (used to ferment beer and wine). Lactic acid helps to increase the acidity of coffee.

Our aim was to slow down the metabolism of the coffee bean by letting it ferment at cold temperatures. However, we don't want to stop it completely. If the rate of fermentation is too slow, it could lead to the development of butyric acid.

Transparency

Importer: Torrefaction Quebec
We Paid (Green Cost): $43.46/kg