COE NICARAGUA #2

Matagalpa, Nicaragua — Rank 2, 90.5 Points, 2025 Harvest

This lot was grown by producer Byron Antonio Sánchez in Matagalpa, one of Nicaragua's core specialty-coffee departments, at roughly 1,270 meters above sea level — modest elevation by high-grown Central American standards, which makes the cup quality here even more a function of variety and processing than altitude alone. The variety is Maracaturra, a naturally occurring hybrid of Maragogype (itself a large-leaved Typica mutation) and Caturra (a dwarf Bourbon mutation) first identified in the late 1800s. It's known for an unusually large bean — closer to 18–20 millimeters across than the specialty-coffee norm — and for a flavor profile that leans tropical and bright rather than the heavier, chocolate-forward register more typical of Nicaraguan coffee overall.

Nicaragua runs its national leg of the international Cup of Excellence program under the name Taza de la Excelencia, one of eleven countries currently part of the same competition network alongside El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Rwanda, and others. Every entry is cupped blind by a national jury first; only the highest scorers advance to a second round judged by an international jury of roasters, buyers, and Q graders who confirm the national scores independently. A combined average across both juries determines final rank, and this lot's 90.5 placed it second nationally in the 2025 competition — the international jury evaluated that year's entries in May, with the auction that sold the winning lots following in June.

We're citing the harvest year explicitly because a Cup of Excellence result is tied to one specific competition cycle: Nicaragua runs Taza de la Excelencia every year with an entirely new set of lots, farms, and scores, so this rank and score describe the 2025 edition specifically.

Honey, Kiwi, Chamomile, White Grape

This is an unusually delicate cup for a Central American washed coffee — most Nicaraguan lots lean toward caramel and stone fruit, but the Maracaturra variety here pulls the profile toward brighter, more tropical territory. Honey carries the sweetness, kiwi and white grape bring a crisp, almost effervescent acidity, and chamomile shows up as a floral note on the finish rather than fading out with the first sip.

Washed processing is doing real work here: without any fruit pulp clinging to the bean during drying, the cup stays clean enough for these lighter, more delicate notes to actually register instead of being buried under fermentation-driven funk. Body is light and the finish is long, floral, and refreshing rather than heavy — closer to what you'd expect from a high-grown Ethiopian lot than a typical Nicaraguan one.

A super-light roast is essential here: anything heavier would caramelize away the kiwi and chamomile notes that make this coffee distinctive in the first place. Drink it black to taste what the jury actually scored.

Pour-Over First

Ratio: 1:16 (coffee to water by weight).

Grind: Medium-fine, similar to table salt.

Water temperature: 195–200°F (90–93°C) — slightly cooler than usual, to protect the delicate florals.

Time: About 2:30 to 2:45, poured slowly in stages.

Pour-Over

A gentle pour-over at a slightly lower temperature keeps the chamomile and kiwi notes from tipping into bitterness — this lot rewards a soft touch more than most washed coffees do.

Hybrid Immersion-Drip Brewer

If you want a bit more body while keeping the clarity of a filter, a hybrid immersion-drip brewer works well: full immersion for 3 minutes, then drain through the filter as usual. It rounds out the white grape note without dulling the florals.

Store the bag whole-bean and sealed, away from heat and light, and grind just before brewing — the kiwi and chamomile notes are the first things to fade once the coffee is ground and exposed to air.

Did You Know

• Nicaragua calls its Cup of Excellence program Taza de la Excelencia — Spanish for Cup of Excellence — one of eleven countries currently running the competition alongside El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Rwanda, and others.

• Maracaturra is a hybrid, not a naturally wild variety — it's a cross between Maragogype and Caturra first identified in the late 1800s, combining Maragogype's oversized bean and leaf structure with Caturra's compact, high-yielding growth habit.

• The beans are genuinely huge. Maracaturra beans typically run 18–20 millimeters across, noticeably larger than the beans of almost any other commercial coffee variety — a visible, not just tasted, difference when you handle the green coffee.

• A 90.5 average score sits well above the qualifying bar. Cup of Excellence lots generally need 84–86 points just to enter the winners' circle in most countries; this lot's combined score across both juries cleared that by a wide margin.

• Cup of Excellence auction proceeds bypass the usual chain of importers and brokers, paying the producer directly for the specific lot sold — a structure designed to reward quality at its source rather than spreading the premium across the supply chain.

What is Cup of Excellence called in Nicaragua?

In Nicaragua, the international Cup of Excellence program runs under the Spanish name Taza de la Excelencia. It follows the same protocol as everywhere else the competition operates: blind national cupping, an international jury confirmation round, and a public auction for the winning lots.

What is Maracaturra coffee?

Maracaturra is a hybrid coffee variety, a natural cross between Maragogype and Caturra first identified in the late 1800s. It's known for an unusually large bean, tropical fruit-leaning flavor, and bright acidity — traits this lot shows clearly in its kiwi and white grape notes.

How is a Cup of Excellence score calculated?

A national jury cups every entry blind first; the top scorers then go to an international jury of buyers, roasters, and Q graders who re-cup and confirm the results independently. The two scores combine into a final average — 90.5 points for this lot, good for second place nationally.

What does this coffee taste like?

It's an unusually delicate cup for a Nicaraguan coffee: honey sweetness, a crisp kiwi and white grape acidity, and a chamomile finish, all carried cleanly by washed processing rather than the heavier caramel-and-stone-fruit register more typical of the origin.

Is Cup of Excellence coffee worth buying?

If you value a documented score, a named farm, and a specific harvest year rather than an anonymous blend, yes — you're paying for traceability and verified quality, not marketing language. Whether the premium is worth it to you personally depends on how much that provenance matters relative to price.

How should I brew this coffee?

Pour-over at a slightly lower temperature — around 195–200°F — with a 1:16 ratio and medium-fine grind protects the delicate chamomile and kiwi notes best. A hybrid immersion-drip brewer is a good alternative if you want a touch more body.