El Bosque es un café muy dulce con notas de chocolate y frutos rojos en fragancia. En boca destaca un cuerpo cremoso con mucho chocolate y notas afrutadas de frambuesas y cerezas, una acidez vinosa pero muy balanceada y un retrogusto con notas finales de naranja.
Finca El Bosque is managed by Julio Peralta and is located in the picturesque area of Ocotal, near the Dipilto-Jalapa mountain range, which forms the border between Nicaragua and Honduras. Despite its turbulent past during the civil war, Nueva Segovia has become a centre for Cup of Excellence winners in recent years.
Its farms produce exceptional coffee, which is harvested from December to April. The higher altitude areas in the mountains experience a later harvest. Nicaragua is an interesting player in the specialty coffee industry, employing traditional methods along with modern processing techniques, such as red and yellow honeys. While the washing processes are carried out on the mountain farms, the coffee is transported to a centralised dry mill for drying, taking advantage of the favourable climate change an hour down the mountain. The farms are managed centrally from the central mill where the agronomist Edwin goes out to visit them every day of the week.
The Peraltas were pioneers in producing microlots, taking advantage of Guatemalan know-how and adapting it to the Nicaraguan context. Over the years, microlots have been introduced on five farms: El Bosque, Santa María de Lourdes, Samaria, La Argentina and La Cascada.
On Peralta’s farms, the microlots concept focuses on a small volume of coffee harvested on the same day from a specific farm plot. Criteria encompass day of harvest and geographical location, emphasising coffee varieties and microclimates. Natural divisions such as mountain slopes, streams and forested areas guide the separation of the sections. Altitude, shade and biodiversity play a vital role in protecting the coffee trees, inspired by the forests of Ethiopia, the birthplace of the coffee tree.
Different varieties thrive at different altitudes; for example, Catuai does well at around 1,200 m above sea level, while Bourbon plants find optimal protection against certain diseases at elevations of at least 1,400 m above sea level. This careful attention to altitude and microclimate ensures that each lot offers unique and exceptional flavours, reflecting the richness of Nicaragua’s coffee heritage.
When replicating the recipe, there are different variables that can interfere with the final result of your cup, such as roasting date, preservation of the beans, environment, water, etc. It is important to keep in mind that all these factors may influence and you may have to make small adjustments when replicating this recipe.
Method: V60
Grinder: Mazzer Omega to number #8
Recommended mineral water: Lanjarón
We used 15 grams of coffee to 240 grams of water.
Add the water in 2 pours. First pour 60 grams, wait 30 seconds and then pour the rest of the water until we reach 260 grams.
The total infusion time should be 2 minutes.
