THE PRODUCERS:

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Los Cielitos literally translates to “the skies”, an apt name for this small farm in San Fernando which rises up to 1600masl. Johana Amador runs the farm with the help of her 2 sons Mario & Osler, trained agrono- mists who split their time between their studies in the USA and the family farm. The sons have used their training to implement soil analysis and experiment with new varietals in the hope of unlocking the farm’s full potential.

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THE ART OF PRODUCTION:

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This coffee is fully washed, whereby ripe cherries are pulped, fermented in water tanks and washed to remove the outer mucilage. The remaining parchment coffee (the husk which surrounds the beans) is then slowly dried until the optimum moisture content is reached.

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Johana conducts her processing at a small in-house wetmill, inaccessible by car. The coffee must therefore be carried 700m to the nearest road after processing, an area in which Johana hopes to improve in efficiency in the coming years.

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THE REGION:

 

Los Cieletos is located near the town of San Fernando in the Nueva Segovia region of Nicaragua. It is part of a high-altitude area surrounding Cerro Mogotón - the highest peak in the country - sitting on the border with Honduras. The region is covered in a dense pine forest - not disimilar to that found in northern Europe - and is characterised by steep, often slippery, hills which make farming & transportation a real challenge. Johana & her sons clearly think it is worth it and the refined & complex cup profile they have achieved means we are inclined to agree!