Sta. Mª de Lourdes, Nicaragua

The 40ha of natural mountain forest that make up Finca Sta. Mª de Lourdes has been owned by Octavio Peralta since 1970, although for many years the area was used as a war zone during the Sandinista uprising and was heavily mined. The UN cleared the area of ​​mines in the late 1980s and Octavio began restoring the exceptional coffee production in this relatively wild region since 1994. Octavio has dedicated himself to this cause as well as preserving nature, a habitat recognised as an important factor in the production of his fantastic coffee. Of the 80ha of arable land available, 40 has been set aside for the sole purpose of maintaining and enhancing the natural habitat. The farm has obtained Rainforest Alliance certification in recognition of this decision and contributes to the continued conservation of its environment. It also has a well-equipped kitchen that serves 60 permanent workers and 150 pickers during the main harvest. Varieties found here include Caturra and Catuai, as well as the heirloom known as Javanica.

The Peralta Family’s coffee history dates back to the early 20th century, but it wasn’t until 2008 that brothers Julio and Octavio shifted their focus to developing unique Specialty brews, an attitude and values ​​that they have brought to their operation. From single plots, single varietal separations to carefully controlled extended fermentations, the Peralta family continues to position itself at the forefront of Specialty Coffee innovation.

The municipality of San Fernando is located about 24km from the Ocotal region and of its 10,000 inhabitants, the vast majority are coffee growers. This beautiful area is located in the Nueva Segovia region, where altitudes range between 1,350-1,550 meters above sea level. Sta. Mª de Lourdes embodies a wide range of lush vegetation and wildlife caused by high levels of rainfall. Indeed, the farm has 4 wetlands, 6 water sources and 5 streams, all of which flow into the San Fernando River, which belongs to the La Horca River basin, which flows into the Coco River.

Nueva Segovia boasts some of the highest growing altitudes in Nicaragua. The terrain is as beautiful as it is challenging to traverse, characterized by rolling hills and dense forests, often shrouded in thick clouds. The climate of Sta. Mª de Lourdes is much more humid, resulting in fewer coffee trees being planted to ensure a balanced ecosystem.

This batch was produced using a natural process with prolonged anaerobic fermentation. First, the ripe cherries are sorted and washed. They are then placed in 450-litre sealed tanks to ferment for up to 72 hours in an anaerobic environment. To lower the temperature to approximately 15ºC, the tanks are placed inside fermentation pools filled with water to slow down fermentation and prevent spoilage or the risk of contamination for up to 72 hours.

Once the fermentation period is complete, the cherries are removed from the tanks and transported to the dry mill for the drying process which can take up to 30 days. Initially, the cherries are spread out in a single layer for a period of 3 days to allow them to remove excess water. Once excess water has been removed and the cherries begin to dry, they are placed on the covered drying beds for the remainder of the drying period. The cherries are moved by hand three times a day to allow them to dry evenly and to prevent mould or over-fermentation.