After the success of Blueberry Candy, our collaboration with SCA UK Roasting Champion 2019 Diana Johnston Ledezma, it was only a matter of time before we revisited the wonderful Finca San Pedro in Nicaragua's Jinotega Department.
Pineapple Candy is a washed F1 Hybrid H3 from the same farm, but with a twist. The washed coffee is fermented in sealed containers with saccharomyces cerevisiae yeasts that give the coffee a layer of tropical fruit flavour and floral aromas. In the cup we found notes of pineapple (unsurprisingly!) and lemon, and a slight booziness, that taken together reminded us of a saison beer.
The F1 Hybrid H3 variety was planted at Finca San Pedro 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.
