Nicaragua Mierish

The Mierisch Family, Nicaragua

This lot comes from the Mierisch family, whose coffee-growing history in Nicaragua stretches back to the early 20th century and now spans multiple farms across the country's Matagalpa and Jinotega departments. Like much of the region's specialty coffee, the family's operation has passed through several generations, each expanding or reshaping what came before.

The family's modern chapter began in earnest in the early 1990s, when Dr. Erwin R. Mierisch — a third-generation producer — took on responsibility for the farms alongside his wife, Maria Ligia McEwan de Mierisch, and their children Erwin Jr., Eleane, and Steve. They stepped into that role as Nicaragua was still recovering from the civil war of the 1980s, a period that had disrupted farming and trade across the country's coffee-growing highlands. Rebuilding and modernizing the family's holdings through that recovery period laid the groundwork for the multi-farm operation the Mierisch name represents today, one now carried forward by a fourth and fifth generation.

This particular lot reflects the floral, honey-and-orange side of that portfolio — a lighter, more aromatic cup than the deeper chocolate register some of the family's other farms, like Los Placeres, are known for. That range across a single family's holdings is itself notable: it reflects farms at different elevations and with different varietal plantings across Matagalpa and Jinotega's volcanic highland terrain, rather than a single uniform house style.

Floral, Honey, Orange

This cup opens floral, with honey sweetness filling out the middle and a bright orange note carrying the finish. It's a delicate, aromatic profile — the kind that leans toward tea-like complexity rather than the heavier body and cocoa notes more commonly associated with Central American coffee.

That brightness is the mark of careful growing at altitude: highland Nicaraguan coffee, grown on volcanic soil in cooler, misty conditions, tends to develop noticeably more complex, higher-acid cups than the country's lower-elevation, more commodity-grade coffee. Acidity here stays lively without turning sharp, sweetness leans honeyed rather than heavy, and the body remains light enough that the floral top notes stay clearly audible in the cup.

Black is how this coffee shows best — the floral and orange notes are the point, and milk tends to flatten both rather than complement them.

Pour-Over First

A bright, floral cup like this one rewards filter brewing, where clean extraction lets the honey and orange notes come through without the added weight full immersion would introduce.

Pour-Over

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

Grind: Medium-fine.

Water temperature: 198–202°F (92–94°C).

Time: Roughly 2:45–3:00 with a slow, steady pour.

V60 or Similar Conical Dripper

A conical dripper with a fast flow rate suits this coffee especially well, since it favors clarity over body — exactly what this floral, citrus-leaning cup calls for. Use a slightly finer grind than you would for a flat-bottom dripper to compensate for the faster drawdown.

Buy in small enough quantities to use within a few weeks, and grind only what you need per brew — the floral and orange top notes are the first thing to fade once this coffee is ground and left exposed to air.

Did You Know

• This coffee's modern era began during Nicaragua's post-war recovery. In the early 1990s, third-generation producer Dr. Erwin R. Mierisch took over responsibility for the family's farms alongside his wife and children, rebuilding the operation as the country emerged from its 1980s civil war.

• The Mierisch family now spans five generations of coffee growers. What began as a single farm has grown, generation by generation, into a multi-farm operation across Nicaragua's Matagalpa and Jinotega departments — with a fourth and fifth generation now carrying the family name forward.

• One family, wildly different cups. This floral, honey-and-orange lot and the chocolate-and-hazelnut-forward Nicaragua Los Placeres both come from Mierisch family farms — a reminder that even coffee from the same growers can taste completely different depending on elevation and varietal.

• This same lot exists in a second, numbered format. Star Coffees Vol. 6 repackages this exact coffee as a limited, collectible release rather than DABOV's standard retail bag.

What does Nicaragua Mierish coffee taste like?

This lot cups floral and bright, with honey sweetness through the middle and an orange finish — a lighter, more aromatic profile than the chocolate-and-brown-sugar cups Nicaragua is more commonly known for.

Who is the Mierisch family?

They're a multi-generational Nicaraguan coffee-growing family operating several farms across Matagalpa and Jinotega. Dr. Erwin R. Mierisch, a third-generation producer, rebuilt and expanded the family's operation in the early 1990s alongside his wife and children.

Is this the same coffee as Star Coffees Vol. 6?

Yes — Star Coffees Vol. 6 is the same farm, family, and flavor profile as this lot, simply repackaged as a numbered, collectible release rather than a standard single-origin bag.

How is this different from Nicaragua Los Placeres?

Both come from Mierisch family farms, but Nicaragua Los Placeres is grown lower and cups with chocolate, brown sugar, and roasted hazelnut, while this lot is brighter and more floral, with honey and orange notes.

How should I brew this coffee?

Pour-over shows it best: a 1:16 ratio, medium-fine grind, and water around 198–202°F (92–94°C). A conical dripper with a fast flow rate is a particularly good match for its floral, citrus-leaning profile.

Is Nicaraguan coffee always chocolatey?

No — that's a common assumption, but lots grown at higher elevations, like this one, often show brighter, more floral and citrus-driven profiles closer to what's typically associated with East African coffee.