Blueberry Candy - Nicaragua

We had the privilege of hosting SCA UK Roasting Champion 2019 Diana Johnston Ledezma - aka Baristasaurus - whilst she practised for the World Coffee Roasting Championship in Taiwan on our Giesen W6A. Of the many roast profiles she experimented with, this one expressed the notes of natural wine, parma violets and strawberry-chocolate present in this funky F1 Hybrid in their purest, cleanest and most lip-smackingly delicious form.

The coffee itself is a micro-lot from Finca San Pedro, in Nicaragua's Jinotega department, part of an estate that covers 311 hectares, of which 155 hectares is dedicated to growing coffee. The remainder of the estate is predominantly primary forest, and includes the a primary school and an agricultural school, both ambitious projects started by the estate to improve the prospects of the local children. The farm is characterised by its micro-climates, shade trees and volcanic soil, and it has been Rainforest Alliance certified since 2003.

The F1 Hybrid H3 variety was planted here in 2015. It is a cross between caturra and an Ethiopian heirloom variety specifically suited for growing above 1,300m. Produced as part of the first wave of F1 hybrid varieties - developed in large part to combat the increasing impact of climate change and disease on coffee yields - H3 does still have some susceptibility to rust, but has maintained presence in the fields due to its exceptional cup quality.

Grown on the west-facing slopes in volcanic soil at the top of the collection of farms that make up the estate, the cherries are picked by hand when very ripe, then dried at a consistent low temperature in order to accentuate the fruit-forward characteristics of the coffee. The result is a spectacularly bold, complex and fruity coffee that we roast to the meticulous specifications laid down by none other than the SCA UK Roasting Champion 2019. Diana Johnston Ledezma, please take a bow!