We taste: cranberry, grape, marzipan

Farm: Finca Los Papales owned by the Lopez family
Region: Jinotega
Processing Method: Anaerobic
Elevation: 1,300-1,700 msl
Varieties: Bourbon, Caturra, Catuai and Pacamara

SQ1 has proudly partnered with the Lopez family for the last 4 years, but…wait for it…

…this is the first time we’ve been able to purchase and present our customers with a very special micro lot from this family farm. This coffee has been uniquely prepared at the farm using an Anaerobic processing method, meaning that the seeds (soon-to-be coffee beans) were removed from the cherries (outer skin), then placed in a sealed tank held at low temperatures along with the fruit of the coffee cherries (mucilage/pectin). All coffee undergoes some level of fermentation once it has been picked, but as fermentation begins in this sealed environment, the levels of oxygen diminish and the CO2 levels increase, creating pressure in the fermentation tank. This works almost like a re-infusion as the pressure forces the juices from the cherries into the coffee, which can yield a coffee with fruity, wine-like qualities.

Finca Los Papales is located just outside the town of Jinotega in the north central region of Nicaragua. It’s been in the Angelina Lopez family for over a century, and to this day grandparents, children and grandchildren continue to manage it together. The coffee is wet and dry milled on the premises in order to better manage quality control.

The farm is Rainforest Alliance Certified, a certification that focuses on biodiversity conservation, community development, workers’ rights, and productive agricultural practices to ensure comprehensive sustainable farm management. Part of the farm’s land is dedicated to forest growth, demonstrating their commitment to preserving the environment.

As part of their commitment to their community, they have collaborated with the Department of Education to provide a free, on-site school for workers’ children and children from the community to study. In collaboration with the Department of Health, the farm also provides a free medical clinic to give workers and members of the surrounding communities access to health care and vaccines.

We’re proud to work with the Lopez family and excited to offer you this delicious anaerobically processed Nicaraguan coffee.