Star Coffees - Vol.6 - Nicaragua Mierish

The Mierisch Family, Nicaragua

The Mierisch family's coffee history in Nicaragua stretches back to 1908, when Bruno Mierisch Boettiger, a German geologist, was granted land in the mountains of Matagalpa by the Nicaraguan government as compensation for his work surveying the national railroad. He planted his first coffee trees that year, and the family has farmed coffee in the region ever since.

Today, Fincas Mierisch comprises nine farms across Nicaragua's Matagalpa and Jinotega departments and three more across the border in Honduras — among them Finca Los Placeres, whose washed single origin also appears in DABOV's catalog as Nicaragua Los Placeres. This lot is grown on one of the family's Nicaraguan farms in that same Matagalpa–Jinotega growing region, a stretch of volcanic highland terrain that's become one of the country's most consistent sources of specialty-grade coffee.

The family's operations are notable beyond the cup, too: during harvest, Fincas Mierisch employs more than 3,000 seasonal pickers, paid roughly 30% above Nicaragua's minimum wage — a labor practice that reflects a family business built on multi-generational relationships with the workers who bring in the crop each year, not just the land itself.

As with every release in DABOV's Star Coffees Collection, this lot is presented as a numbered, limited-run volume rather than a standing catalog SKU — Volume 6 in a series that has since drawn from Ethiopia and Panama as well.

Floral, Honey, Orange

This cup opens floral, with honey sweetness filling the middle and orange carrying a bright, citrus-forward finish. It's a lighter, more delicate profile than the chocolate-and-brown-sugar register that dominates much of Nicaragua's coffee output — closer to the bright, high-grown cups more commonly associated with Ethiopia or Kenya than to a typical Central American lot.

That brightness points to careful growing and processing at altitude: Nicaragua's volcanic highland terrain, where the Mierisch family farms sit, produces markedly more complex, higher-acid cups than the country's lower-elevation commodity-grade coffee. Acidity here is lively but not sharp, sweetness is honeyed rather than heavy, and the body stays light enough to let the floral top notes come through clearly.

Black is how this cup shows best — the floral and citrus notes are the point, and milk tends to flatten both.

Pour-Over First

A bright, floral cup like this one is built for filter brewing, where clean extraction lets the honey and orange notes come through without the added weight of full immersion.

Pour-Over

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

Grind: Medium-fine, similar to table salt.

Water temperature: 200°F (93°C).

Time: Total brew time should land around 2:45–3:00 if the pour stays slow and steady.

Clever Dripper (Hybrid Immersion)

For a simpler, more consistent cup with less technique required, a Clever Dripper works well: steep at a 1:15 ratio for 3 minutes at 200°F (93°C), then release. It's a good option if you want this lot's honey sweetness to come through reliably without managing a manual pour.

Store the box sealed, whole-bean, and away from light and heat, grinding only what you'll brew each session — the floral top notes fade fastest once the coffee is ground.

Did You Know

• The Mierisch family's coffee story started with a railroad survey. Bruno Mierisch Boettiger, a German geologist, was granted land in Matagalpa by Nicaragua's government as payment for his work on the National Railroad — he planted his first coffee trees there in 1908.

• Fincas Mierisch now spans two countries. The family operates nine farms across Nicaragua's Matagalpa and Jinotega departments and three more in neighboring Honduras, more than a century after the first trees went into the ground.

• Harvest season employs thousands of seasonal workers. During peak picking, Fincas Mierisch brings on more than 3,000 workers, paid roughly 30% above Nicaragua's minimum wage — a detail that matters as much to the family's reputation as any cupping score.

• This is the sixth release in DABOV's Star Coffees Collection. The numbered series launched with a Honduras Gesha as Volume 1 and has since drawn from Ethiopia and Panama, alongside this Nicaraguan lot as Volume 6.

Who is the Mierisch family?

They're a Nicaraguan coffee-growing family whose history in the country's highlands dates to 1908, when Bruno Mierisch Boettiger first planted coffee on land granted to him in Matagalpa. The family now runs nine farms in Nicaragua and three in Honduras.

What does Nicaragua Mierisch coffee taste like?

This lot cups floral and bright, with honey sweetness through the middle and an orange finish — lighter and more citrus-forward than the chocolate-and-brown-sugar profile common to much of Nicaragua's coffee.

What is the Star Coffees Collection?

It's DABOV's numbered series of limited, collectible coffee releases. This lot is Volume 6, following earlier volumes from Honduras and preceding later ones from Ethiopia and Panama.

Is Nicaraguan coffee acidic?

It varies by region and altitude — lower-grown Nicaraguan coffee tends toward a milder, chocolate-forward cup, while higher-altitude lots like this one from the Mierisch family's Matagalpa–Jinotega farms show brighter, more citrus-driven acidity.

How should I brew this coffee?

Pour-over shows this lot best: a 1:16 ratio, medium-fine grind, and water at 200°F (93°C). A Clever Dripper is a good simpler alternative if you'd rather not manage a manual pour.

Is this the same coffee as DABOV's regular Nicaragua Mierisch?

Yes — the farm, family, and flavor profile are the same. This release simply repackages that lot as a numbered, collectible Star Coffees Collection box rather than the standard single-origin format.