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Mexico 
Mexican Esmeralda Natural Decaf
Country: Mexico Grade: HG Region: Coatepec Mark: Cafiver
Processing: Wet-processed Crop: June 2005 arrival Appearance: 0 d/300gr, 16-18 Screen Varietal: Do not know
        Dry Fragrance: 82 Notes: This new lot of Mexican Esmeralda Natural Decaf reminds me of the coffee we got from this source about 3 years ago. It's a light bodied cup, pleasantly mild with a bit of acidity and a bit of fruitiness. Somehow, the coffee quality slipped for a couple years there, and we found other natural decafs to take its place. But we received this really nice sample of the Esmeralda and it is back to its former cup quality standard. This coffees has a very distinct, attractive aroma while it roasts and the cup is mild and has a very pleasant nuttiness. It has medium body and a light aftertaste. Because it is nutty and mild, its great as a crowd-pleasing straight roast or as a base for a decaf blend, either for drip coffee or espresso. This is decaffeinated in the same place (Cafiver): Check out our article on decaffeination. ...or some information from Cafiver in Mexico.
Wet Aroma: 81
Brightness- Liveliness: 83
Body- Movement: 84
Flavor- Depth: 84 Roast: This coffee has a very wide lattitude ...roast you your preference: City, Full City, Vienna or French
Finish- Conclusion: 81
Score: 82.5 Compare to: Mild, balanced Mexican Oaxaca coffees
Intensity/Prime Attribute: Mild / Nutty
Mexico Oaxaca Cafe Pluma - Hidalgo
Country: Mexico Grade: HG Region: Pluma Hidalgo, Oaxaca Mark: "Cafe Pluma Hidalgo"
Processing: Wet Process Crop: August 2004 Arrival Appearance: .2 d/300gr, 18 screen Varietal: 100% Typica
Dry Fragrance (1-5) 3 Notes: Pluma Hidalgo is a Zapotec mountain village in Southern Oaxaca at 1,300 meters elevation in the Sierra del Sur, perched quite literally on the razor edge of a mountain ridge. The town population is around 4000 in the extended area, but basically it is a simple town with one main strip, paved with cobbles. It is a rural center with the local crops being a mix of market and sustainance products: coffee, corn, sugarcane, beans, pineapple, mangoes, lemons. Pluma Hidalgo is the center of Oaxacan coffee in a way, in both name/apellation and cup character. These are the light to medium-bodied coffees with very moderate acidity, delicate overall, and clean chocolate qualities. And this lot of Pluma Hidalgo is just that. It has a perfect balance of sweet-bittersweet, tangy chocolate that is not too overpowering or aggressive, and mild pleasant acidity/brightness. In other words, this is darn good drinkin' coffee, charming "house coffee". (And in that, it's charm gets lots in the numbers, hence a +2 cuppers correction for overall appeal) I can't say it enough; Oaxacan coffees are the classic Mexican coffees; better than the Coatepec coffees to the North, distinct from the (sometimes) excellent Chiapas coffees to the South. It has become increasingly difficult to find a truly excellent Oaxacan coffee like this. Why is the Oaxaca Pluma endangered? It's not that this is a rare coffee, or that there is a ton of competition for hich caliber Mexican coffees. The problem is chronically low prices that discourage farmers from investing in quality processing. A general hopelessness has become the norm, as the market has had its way and proven that what it wants from Mexico is cheap, bulk lots of coffee for blends and flavoring. And it is difficult for a green coffee buyer (me) when the market determines a price that is too low.
Wet Aroma (1-5) 3.3
Brightness - Acidity (1-10) 8.1
Flavor - Depth (1-10) 8.3
Body - Mouthfeel (1-5) 2.8
Finish - Aftertaste (1-10) 8.3
Cupper's Correction (1-5) 2 Intensity/Prime Attribute: Mild intensity / Bittersweet roast flavors and aromatic woodiness
add 50 50 Roast: I had very good roasts at City+ to Full City; The body is light at all roast stages; the roast flavors at Vienna are pleasantly carbony and sharp.
Score (Max. 100) 85.8 Compare to: A classic Oaxaca cup with attractive balance and light body
Mexico Organic/Fair Trade Oaxaca Pluma
Country: Mexico Grade: HB Region: Oaxaca Mark: CEPCO Cooperative, Organic and FT certified
Processing: Wet Process Crop: Late April 2004 Arrival Appearance: .2 d/300gr, 17-18 screen Varietal: 100% Typica
Dry Fragrance (1-5) 3 Notes: Oaxaca Pluma are the prototypical Mexican coffees in my book, better than the Coatepec coffees to the North, distinct from the excellent Chiapas coffees to the South. But it has become increasingly difficult to find a truly excellent specimen. Why is the Oaxaca Pluma endangered? It's not that this is a rare coffee, or that there is a ton of competition for high caliber Mexican coffees. The problem is chronically low prices that discourage farmers from investing in quality processing. A general hopelessness has become the norm, as the market has had its way and proven that what it wants from Mexico is cheap, bulk lots of coffee for blends and flavoring. Perhaps this is why the Organic and Fair Trade certification processes have taken hold here. And we definitely support these initiatives, but something is still missing, and many of the certified coffees are simply not good in the cup. The cooperatives have grown very large, and their ability (or desire) to make cup quality the top priority is flagging. Could certifications be part of the problem? If you know you can get premium prices for lots that are certified, is there still an incentive to perform all the added steps in processing, investments in better equipment, training in quality farm practices and rigorous quality-controls that high "cup quality" requires? I am not in a position to say, except that judging from samples I receive there are very few top quality "conventional" (non-certified) Mexican Oaxacas Plumas out there, and my hope for our old favorite, Fino Rojas, to send a good sample is dim. (Their coffee is not ready to offer yet). So I was really happy when this Organic/Fair Trade sample from the Cepco co-op came in. I cupped it against every other sample I had available and it really stands out; it's a mild cup (as all Oaxaca and Chiapas coffees truly are, unless you roast them dark), with a light body, and a really good aromatic woodiness in the cup. This is quite different than a coffee that has a bad/old/baggy woodiness. And it's not a mossy or smokey Indonesian wood either, but a cedar that finishes fairly dry. This really comes through at City+, and persists through the finish. Overall, the cup has caramel and vanilla qualities but is bittersweet rather than sweet, and on the break (in cupping, when you "break" the crust of grinds with a spoon) I get a very lively black pepper scent. All this adds up to a standout Oaxaca for me, and despite all the problems with the region, and with the broader coffee market, proves that good coffee is still available if you do the legwork and the cupping!
Wet Aroma (1-5) 3.5
Brightness - Acidity (1-10) 8.2
Flavor - Depth (1-10) 8.4
Body - Movement (1-5) 2.7
Finish - Aftertaste (1-10) 8.3
Cupper's Correction (1-5) 1 Intensity/Prime Attribute: Mild intensity / Bittersweet roast flavors and aromatic woodiness
add 50 50 Roast: I had very good roasts at City+ to Full City; The body is light at all roast stages; the roast flavors at Vienna are pleasantly carbony and sharp.
Score (Max. 100) 85.1 Compare to: A "classic Oaxaca" cup profile, mild, with moderate acids and light body. This is a nice, low intensity cup profile.
Mexican Organic Oaxaca - Finca El Olivo
Country: Mexico Grade: SHG Region: Oaxaca (Pluma Hidalgo) Mark: El Olivo Farm,
OCIA Organic Certified
Processing: Wet-processed Crop: May 2005 Arrival Appearance: .5 d/300gr, 17 -18 Screen Varietal: 100% Typica
Dry Fragrance (1-5) 3.0 Notes: Oaxaca Pluma are the essential Mexican coffees in my book, better than the Coatepec coffees to the North, than the Veracruz, and distinct from the fine Chiapas coffees to the South. They have great balance, medium-light body, and wonderful flavor of soft chocolate tones and moderate acidity lingering through to the aftertaste. Grown with a Pacific weather influence, it is no wonder that many can be cupped beside (and outcup) a Kona coffee. The El Olivo is a true Oaxaca Pluma estate coffee and this year that in itself is remarkable (Due to years of low coffee prices, many fine Estate farms went under or were subsumed by large mills where the coffee is all pooled together, resulting in the lowest common denominator in the cup. Coffee prices are now quite healthy again, but with agricultural products the successive bad years really hurt, and better prices don't mean instant recovery). The man behind El Olivo is Arturo Lutan Cruz, and the farm is now a rare sight in Oaxaca, certified Organic Estate coffee with healthy trees and sustainable farm practices. The El Olivo coffee has an excellent preparation, almost blue-green in color, with only an very occasional aberration. You can see quite clearly from the long oval seed for that is is Typica cultivar. It works fine with a heavier roast treatment since it is grown at higher altitude and has great density: it won't turn ashy in flavor. This cup has great balance between creamy body, and moderate brightness. It's not as impressive when hot, but as it cools the cup sweetens a lot, and flavor nuances of vanilla and caramel are revealed. The floral aspect of the cup is reminicent of Hibiscus tea with a raspberry hint; keep the roast in the City or City+ range to highlight this quality.
Wet Aroma (1-5) 4.0
Brightness - Acidity (1-10) 8.5
Flavor - Depth (1-10) 8.8
Body - Mouthfeel (1-5) 2.8
Finish - Aftertaste (1-10) 8.7
Cupper's Correction (1-5) 0.0 Roast: My favorite: a lighter City roast stopped before 2nd crack, but at a point where the roast has fully developed and there is no "wrinkly" surface to the seed. But this takes dark roasts quite well too
Add 50 50.0 Compare to: Typical Oaxaca Pluma cup with light body, fine acidity, good chocolate roast tastes, Great espresso potential too.
Score (Max. 100) 85.8
Mexico Chiapas SHG EP Jaltenango
Country: Mexico Grade: SHG Region: Chiapas, Jaltenango, Villa Corzo Mark: Strictly High Grown, Euro-Prep.
Processing: Wet Process Crop: July 2004 Arrival Appearance: 1.3 d/300gr, 17+ screen Varietal: 90% Typica, Bourbon
Dry Fragrance (1-5) 3 Notes: Chiapas is the southernmost state in Mexico, at the Guatemalan border. The coffees are distinct from the Oaxaca Plumas and Coatepec coffees: they are a little brighter, sweeter, and bear some resemblance to the Huehuetenango coffees of Guatemala. Oaxaca is my other favorite Mexican origin, but the really good Chiapas coffees like this one have been consistently excellent, are a brighter and livelier cup. Many of the coffees from Chiapas are from small farms, cooperatively wet-milled and sold. Jaltenango is a town name; it is a supply center for coffee growers and other small farming operations in the region and is essentially "the end of the pavement" in this remote region of Chiapas. At this location, coffee is bought after it has been sun-dried by the small growers in the area, and milled to form this microregional lot of Chiapas coffee. Because these small producers often have less than an acre each, it would be impossible to offer coffee from the Jaltenango district by the farm, but because all the coffee is very high grown (SHG - Strictly High Grown grade), the quality from farm to farm is consistant. This altitude results in very dense coffee seeds since the cherry on the tree ripens slowly, and this improves roasting results, as well as adding to the bright end of the cup. The coffee is mild, like all Mexican coffees, and a rather rustic cup. In fact, over time I think it is even more rustic than my initial cupping sample. That's not a flat-out bad thing at all, just a flavor preference. The body is fairly light, but I really enjoy the zingy, pointed high tone in the cup (especially at City to City+ roast). It has a nice sweetness, but a rustic note dominates it, and what I really like is how versitile it is in the roaster - I prefer it very light roasted, but it develops what I would call a "classic dark roast" taste when you go into the Vienna or French stages, 20+ seconds into 2nd crack.
Wet Aroma (1-5) 3
Brightness - Acidity (1-10) 8.6
Flavor - Depth (1-10) 8.1
Body - Mouthfeel (1-5) 2.8
Finish - Aftertaste (1-10) 8.0
Cupper's Correction (1-5) 0 Intensity/Prime Attribute: Mild intensity / Firm bright cup, sweet, light body.
add 50 50 Roast: This is versitile coffee ; I had very good roasts at City+ to Full City and because it is a high-grown (dense seed) has a really nice dark roast character; pleasantly sharp carbony tones.
Score (Max. 100) 83.5 Compare to: Good mild Chiapas coffee from high altitude. A note: there are some defective beans in here, so you might want to cull a couple out before the roast. They are not serious defects that draw down the cup quality.
Mexican Esmeralda Natural Decaf
Country: Mexico Grade: HG Region: Coatepec Mark: Cafiver  
Processing: Wet-processed Crop: April 2004 arrival Appearance: 0 d/300gr, 16-18 Screen Varietal: Do not know
        Dry Fragrance: 82 Notes: This new lot of Mexican Esmeralda Natural Decaf reminds me of the coffee we got from this source about 3 years ago. It's a light bodied cup, pleasantly mild with a bit of acidity and a bit of fruitiness. Somehow, the coffee quality slipped for a couple years there, and we found other natural decafs to take its place. But we received this really nice sample of the Esmeralda and it is back to its former cup quality standard. This coffees has a very distinct, attractive aroma while it roasts and the cup is mild and has a very pleasant nuttiness. It has medium body and a light aftertaste. Because it is nutty and mild, its great as a crowd-pleasing straight roast or as a base for a decaf blend, either for drip coffee or espresso. This is decaffeinated in the same place (Cafiver): Check out our article on decaffeination. ...or some information from Cafiver in Mexico.
Wet Aroma: 81
Brightness- Liveliness: 83
Body- Movement: 84
Flavor- Depth: 84 Roast: This coffee has a very wide lattitude ...roast you your preference: City, Full City, Vienna or French
Finish- Conclusion: 81
Score: 82.5 Compare to: Mild, balanced Mexican Oaxaca coffees
Intensity/Prime Attribute: Mild / Nutty
Mexican Organic Chiapas
Country: Mexico Grade: SHG Region: Chiapas Mark: Co-op de Profesor Montana, OCIA Organic Cert.
Processing: Wet processed Crop: 2003 Appearance: 0 d/300gr, 17 Screen Varietal: Typica, Caturra
Dry Fragrance (1-5) 3 Notes: Chiapas is the southernmost state in Mexico, at the Guatemalan border. The coffees are distinct from the Oaxaca Plumas and Coatepec coffees: they are a little brighter, sweeter, and bear some resemblance to the Huehuetenango coffees of Guatemala. Oaxaca is my other favorite Mexican origin, but the coffees have had variable quality and in a "down" year, it can be very, very hard to find a really good, 100% Typica Oaxacan coffee. But the really good Chiapas coffees like this one have been consistently excellent. (We had the non-organic coffee from this same co-op in the '02 season). Many of the coffees from Chiapas are from small farms, cooperatively wet-milled and sold. The names of co-ops are quite elaborate: this coffee is "Union de Ejidos Profesor Otilio Montana" and has the environmental mission printed on each bag: "Por la Conservacion de Tierra, La Naturaleza, Y la Cultura." In my memory, this coffee is unique and cups a little more like the coffees of Nicaragua, but with more brightness in the cup. It has a rustic sage herbiness in the cup making it have herbal tea qualities. It is lightly fruited, and definitely has a character that emerges most as the cup cools. It develops a nice pungency as the roast turns darker, but you lose the bright snap that is in this cup, hinting at the higher altitudes at which it is grown (Strictly Altura, top grade high grown for Mexico). OCIA and Naturland certified organic.
Wet Aroma (1-5) 3.3
Brightness - Acidity (1-10) 8.3
Flavor - Depth (1-10) 8.3
Body - Movement (1-5) 3
Finish - Aftertaste (1-10) 8.2
Cupper's Correction (1-5) 0 Roast: City roast: You can take it darker to Full City (at second crack) or Vienna (30 seconds into 2nd crack or so), but the brighter notes and delicate flavors disappear.
add 50 50 Compare to: Interesting and unique sage flavors at City roast, and a nice sweetness, more like Nicaraguan Segovia. Roast well to darker stages too.
Score (Max. 100) 84.1
Mexican Organic Oaxaca Pluma - El Olivo
Country: Mexico Grade: SHG Region: Oaxaca Mark: El Olivo Farm, Organic Certified
Processing: Wet-processed Crop: 2003 Appearance: .5 d/300gr, 16-17 Screen Varietal: all Typica
Dry Fragrance (1-5) 3.0 Notes: Oaxaca Pluma are the prototypical Mexican coffees in my book, better than the Coatepec coffees to the North, distinct from the excellent Chiapas coffees to the South. They have great balance, medium-light body, and wonderful flavor of soft chocolate tones and moderate acidity lingering through to the aftertaste. The El Olivo is a true Oaxaca Pluma estate coffee and this year that in itself is remarkable (we have reports of many coffees sold as Plumas that are not, and from "eye-cupping" some pre-ship samples at a brokers sample room, I must say these so-called Plumas do not have the appearance or quality preparation of a true Oaxacan. We do not expect to stock other Oaxacas this year based on these pre-ship samples). The El Olivo coffee has an excellent preparation, almost blue-green in color, with only an very occasional aberration. We have stocked this coffee in the past, but this year it has passed it's 3 year organic transition and can be offered as Certified Organic! The roast is very even and it accepts a wide latitude in terms of degree of roast to suit your taste. It works great with a heavier roast treatment since it is grown at higher altitude and has great density: it won't turn ashy in flavor. This cup has great balance between creamy body, and moderate brightness. It's not so impressive when hot, but as it cools the cup sweetens, and flavor nuances of anise and vanilla are revealed.
Wet Aroma (1-5) 4.0
Brightness - Acidity (1-10) 8.5
Flavor - Depth (1-10) 8.8
Body - Movement (1-5) 3.5
Finish - Aftertaste (1-10) 8.7
Cupper's Correction (1-5) 0.0 Roast: My favorite: a lighter City roast stopped before 2nd crack, but at a point where the roast has fully developed and there is no "wrinkly" surface to the seed. But this takes dark roasts quite well.
Add 50 50.0 Compare to: The prototypical Oaxaca Pluma cup; It's both exceptional as a straight roast and as a blend base for light and dark roasts. Great espresso potential too.
Score (Max. 100) 86.5
Misc. & Blends
African Highland WP Decaf Blend
Country: Kenya, Ethiopia Grades: AA Auction Lot, 2 Regions: Aberdare, Yirgacheffe Mark: Auction Lot, MAO
Processing: Wet-processed, then decaf by Water Process Crop: June 2004 Arrival Appearance: 0 d/300gr, 17-18 scr Varietal: Various, Typica
Dry Fragrance (1-5) 3 Notes: Bright, light bodied, full of character and "snap". I am not talking describing a person although a few come to mind. The new Water Process method used to decaffeinated this coffee leaves an astounding amount of cup character. I always felt that the SWP decaf was weakest when applied to bright, acidic high-toned coffees. They cupped like water flavored with cardboard. So this blend here is, to me, the ultimate triumph of our new Water Process decaf source (from Mexico, although the DO use the same method essentially as official SWP coffee -which is processed in Canada actually). It is an "indirect contact", non-chemical process that is truly a water filtration process. The other factor is that other decafs sometimes don't originate with the best green coffees. This is a true Auction Lot Kenya blended 50-50 with one of the best Ethiopian Yirgacheffe lots from this season. As I mentioned, it is a coffee that is lighter in body, bright (striking the front of the palate and tongue in the center-front and front-sides), and very fruity. Although the scores are already very high for a decaf, I objectively felt the cup rates higher than a combined 86 so there is a "Cupper's Correction" of 2.
Wet Aroma (1-5) 4
Brightness - Acidity (1-10) 9
Flavor - Depth (1-10) 8
Body - Movement (1-5) 3
Finish - Aftertaste (1-10) 8 Roast: While this coffee becomes sharply pungent in darker roasts, I really enjoy its bright, fruity character too much to roast it that way. I keep it light, stopping the roast at Full City, right at the verge of 2nd crack but not into it.
Cupper's Correction (1-5) 2 Compare to: Bright, light-bodied coffees like the fruity Ethiopian Yirgacheffe. If you like our Ethiopian MC decaf you will probably enjoy this too...
add 50 50
Score (Max. 100) 87
African Highland WP Decaf Blend
Country: Kenya, Ethiopia Grades: AA Auction Lot, 2 Regions: Aberdare, Yirgacheffe Mark: Auction Lot, MAO  
Processing: Wet-processed, then decaf by Water Process Crop: 2002 Appearance: 0 d/300gr, 17-18 scr Varietal: Typica
Dry Fragrance (1-5) 3 Notes: Bright, light bodied, full of character and "snap". I am not talking describing a person although a few come to mind. The new Water Process method used to decaffeinated this coffee leaves an astounding amount of cup character. I always felt that the SWP decaf was weakest when applied to bright, acidic high-toned coffees. They cupped like water flavored with cardboard. So this blend here is, to me, the ultimate triumph of our new Water Process decaf source (from Mexico, although the DO use the same method essentially as official SWP coffee -which is processed in Canada actually). It is an "indirect contact", non-chemical process that is truly a water filtration process. The other factor is that other decafs sometimes don't originate with the best green coffees. This is a true Auction Lot Kenya blended 50-50 with one of the best Ethiopian Yirgacheffe lots from this season. As I mentioned, it is a coffee that is lighter in body, bright (striking the front of the palate and tongue in the center-front and front-sides), and very fruity. Although the scores are already very high for a decaf, I objectively felt the cup rates higher than a combined 86 so there is a "Cupper's Correction" of 2.
Wet Aroma (1-5) 4
Brightness - Acidity (1-10) 9
Flavor - Depth (1-10) 8
Body - Movement (1-5) 3
Finish - Aftertaste (1-10) 8 Roast: While this coffee becomes sharply pungent in darker roasts, I really enjoy its bright, fruity character too much to roast it that way. I keep it light, stopping the roast at Full City, right at the verge of 2nd crack but not into it.
Cupper's Correction (1-5) 2 Compare to: Bright, light-bodied coffees like the fruity Ethiopian Yirgacheffe. If you like our Ethiopian MC decaf you will probably enjoy this too...
add 50 50
Score (Max. 100) 87
Myanmar (Burma)  

see our pre-2000 Archive and our 2001-2002 archve

Nicaragua 
Nicaragua Segovia WP Decaf
Country: Nicaragua Grade: SHG Region: Segovia Mark: Coop 20 de Abril; Prodecoop
Processing: Wet Process, then WP Decaf Crop: Dec 2004 Arrival Appearance: 0 d/300gr, 17 screen Varietal: Typica, Caturra, Catuai
Dry Fragrance (1-5) 3 Notes: The Co-op 20 de Abril is located is in the state of Nueva Segovia in Northern Nicaragua, extending to the Honduras border. In fact, when I was there this year we were at a co-op farm that was just one mountain ridge away from Honduras. These coffees from the far north of Segovia have a different character than other Nicaragua coffees from Matagalapa and Jinotega (the larger growing regions). They are balanced, bright, sweeter. They aren't just mild mid-toned coffees but have a brighter note in the cup. It is a credit to the WP water process decaf method that this cup preserves that character in a decaf coffee so well. The brightness has an almost piney, aromatic character, the body is medium and silky, and the finish has a neat, husky sweetness ... sort of a dark, wild honey character.
Wet Aroma (1-5) 3.2
Brightness - Acidity (1-10) 8.5
Flavor - Depth (1-10) 8.4
Body - Mouthfeel (1-5) 3
Finish - Aftertaste (1-10) 8.5
Cupper's Correction (1-5) 0 Intensity/Prime Attribute: Mild to medium intensity / Unique brightness in cup with honeyed sweetness
add 50 50 Roast: Full City
Score (Max. 100) 84.6 Compare to: An excellent Segovia character in a decaf.
Nicaragua Matagalpa -Maragogype
Country: Nicaragua Grade: SHG Region: Matagalpa Mark: Mierch Family   
Processing: Wet-processed Crop: July 2004 arrival Appearance: 0 d/300gr, 21+ Screen!!! Varietal: Maragogype
Dry Fragrance (1-5) 3.5

Notes: Maragogype (also spelled Maragojipe, pronounced "Mara-go-hee-pey") is a distinct cultivar of Arabica coffee, more specifically it is a subtype of Typica. It is called the "elephant bean" for its incredibly large size. Supposedly the first Maragogype plant happened spontaneously in Brazil in the early 1900s. Now, bean size per se has nothing to do with cup quality: a bigger seed doesn't make a better cup. But the argument for Maragogype is that the tree produces fewer cherries and flavor is more concentrated. I have tasted some very bland Maragogype that was lower grown, so this isn't always true. And hey, once you grind it up it all looks the same! On the other hand I have had some coffees that had outstanding cup qualities, surpassed all the rival samples in blind cupping, and just happened to be Maragogype. Maragogype coffees are often pooled from a small region of growers, since each independently would not have enough to form a lot. So in a sense, these are like pearls in a bed of oysters, and even in local markets of coffee-producing areas they sell for 3x to 4x the going price. I was torn this year between a lot of Coban (Guatemala) Marago and this one, but after allowing the coffees a proper rest time of 2 days, the Matagalpa Marago really emerged as the best cup. The preparation is better on this coffee than it was last year -very clean-, with a very thick body, and aromatic cedar roast notes. After a longer rest time, body comes up, it becomes a very balanced cup with deep sweetness, and has a character that reminds me of a chocolate-dipped orange slice!

Be warned: The Maragogype is a bit different in the roaster. In most air roasters you need to cut back on the batch size by about 1/3 so the coffee agitates properly. It's better to underload the roaster than overload it, or the coffee will scorch or tip (burn in spots) during the roast, and the cup will taste skunky! With a smaller batch size you will have different roast times. I would set the roaster to a long roast setting, then stop it manually. Some roasters handle this coffee a lot better - drum roasters do well, and the Rosto is fine too. Z&D is okay. The Freshroasts - you need to take care with the batch size, and probably need to tilt or move the roaster to get an acceptably even roast. Roast appearance: the Marago's can appear variegated/mottled in color when roasted light, just as they do in the green form - this will not cause a problem in the cup!
Wet Aroma (1-5) 3.5
Brightness - Acidity (1-10) 8.2
Flavor - Depth (1-10) 8.4
Body - Movement (1-5) 4.0
Finish - Aftertaste (1-10) 8.7
Cupper's Correction (1-5) 0.0 Intensity/Prime Attribute: Medium / body, balance, bittersweet
add 50 50.0 Roast: This is a very difficult coffee to roast in some machines: reduce the batch size so the coffee agitates properly and roasts evenly. I would set the roaster at a high setting and stop it manually at the degree of roast you prefer. I like this coffee at a Full City stage, a few snaps into second crack
Score (Max. 100) 86.3 Compare to: Very richly bodied cup, balanced.
Nicaragua Cup of Exc. Coop 15 de Septiembre: Organic and Fair Trade Certified
Country: Nicaragua Grade: SHG Region: San Juan de Rio Coco, Madriz Mark: Cup of Excellence Lot #14, 15 de Septiembre Co-op, Organic and Fair Trade Certified
Processing: Wet-Processed Crop: Sept 2004 Arrival Appearance: 0 d/300gr, 17-18 Screen Varietal: 80% Caturra, 15% Bourbon, 5% Catimor
Dry Fragrance (1-5) 3.5 Notes: This Cup of Excellence lot is grown cooperatively by small scale farmers in the Madriz area, Organic-certified, and milled by the excellent Prodecoop dry mill in Esteli. The cooperative has been transitioning to organic and received its first certification in 1999. This lot comes from the 11 farms that have already been certified organic and are members of the community group Las Segovias. A side note; this lot is Fair Trade Certified too, which is a little ironic because with competition coffees we pay far more for the lots than Fair Trade would require! The coffee is grown in remote areas with no roads ... it is carried to wet mill by mule or on the shoulders of their members. The coffee is a traditional wet-milled lot (depulped, fermented and washed with fresh water, then sun dried on concrete patios). Interestingly enough, there is a tad of Catimor in the blend of cultivars here, a cross between Caturra and a Timor Robusta - but there is too little of it to detect. (Pure Catimor from older trees can have off cup flavors). As for the cup, this is just really nice crowd-pleasing Nicaragua coffee and will really reflect the type of roast treatment you chose for it. This lot has two different characters depending on the degree of roast. At a true City roast, the aromatics on this cup are sweet and delicate, with honey and strawberry hints. In the cup, the sweetness follows through with a maple syrup quality. The fruits suggest raspberry and red apple, and as the cup cools it brightens considerably. In fact it reminds me of raspberry tea with a twist of citrus rind in it - very nice. This is a subtle cup ... at City roast. Now, I did roasts of the arrival lot at Full City and Full City+ ( a tad into 2nd crack ). At the darker level of roast, the cup really changes character, and unfortunately all the delicate fruit notes are lost. But the cup picks up a very nice milk chocolate bittersweet with pungent roasty/nutty notes as secondary flavors- very nice! Choose your degree of roast- choose your flavor profile.
Wet Aroma (1-5) 3.7
Brightness - Acidity (1-10) 8.4
Flavor - Depth (1-10) 8.6
Body - Movement (1-5) 3.3
Finish - Aftertaste (1-10) 8.7
Cupper's Correction (1-5) 1 Intensity/Prime Attribute: Medium Intensity / Subtle, Classic cup profile; versatile
add 50 50 Roast: City through Full City+. This is a very versatile coffee so the lighter roasts are accented with brighter notes and fruit, the darker ones are chocolatey - it works either way...
Score (Max. 100) 87.2 Compare to: Intrinisc Nicaraguan flavors and balance, similar in some aspects to a really, really good Mexican Oaxaca.
Nicaragua Organic/Fair Trade Segovia
Country: Nicaragua Grade: SHG Region: Segovia Mark: Prodecoop Segovia,
OCIA Organic Cert.
Fair Trade Cert.
Processing: Wet-processed Crop: March 2004 Arrival Appearance: 0 d/300gr Varietal: Typica, Bourbon
18 scr
Dry Fragrance (1-5) 3.4 Notes: Nicaraguan coffees are unique among the Central Americans, with the closest "cup kin" being certain Colombians. They have great body and balance, whereas many Centrals are light- to medium- bodied. The great origins are Jinotega, Matagalpa and Segovia, both possessing the proper altitude for the highest grade (SHG: Strictly High Grown) growths. This Organic/Fair-Trade certified coffee (name of the best coffees produced at the Prodecoop mill in Esteli) is the epitome of balance and, as the cup cools, increasing power. But let it grow on you, and as the cup cools you get a greater sense of the dimension and great character. The aromas are spicey and sweet, but the cup character is not so mild ...It has a "big" flavor, milk chocolate with a pleasant bittersweet tang in the finish, while remaining balanced. The aftertaste has a slight dryness to it that really works well, and a hint of cedar. The alternating bittersweet tastes tinged with lightly carbony flavor at a Full City roast gives this coffee such complexity. (It holds up well to a heavier roast too, since the coffee seed grown at higher altitude has greater density.) Roasted from City to Full City, this cup will really grow in you as you spend more time with it, while being mild enough to be a crowd-pleasing "classic" cup too.
Sitting on the porch at the Prodecoop mill a few months back.

Leaves with dried coffee-flowers at a Prodecoop-member farm in Segovia.
Wet Aroma (1-5) 3.5
Brightness - Acidity (1-10) 8.0
Flavor - Depth (1-10) 8.4
Body - Movement (1-5) 4.0
Finish - Aftertaste (1-10) 8.5
Cupper's Correction (1-5) 0.0 Intensity/Prime Attribute: Medium+ / balance, chocolate roast tastes
add 50 50 Roast: City to Full City: (see review).
Score (Max. 100) 85.7 Compare to: Excellent complexity/depth emerges as the cup cools, and great long aftertaste. Similar to some Colombians but unique among other Central American cup profiles.
Nicaragua Cup of Excellence -El Regreso
Country: Nicaragua Grade: SHG Region: La Laguna, Palo Blanco, Jinotega Mark: Cup of Excellence Lot #8,
El Regreso Farm
Processing: Wet-Processed Crop: Sept 2004 Arrival Appearance: 0 d/300gr, 17-18 Screen Varietal: Caturra, Catuai
Dry Fragrance (1-5) 3.8 Notes: This coffee was the 8th place in the competition, but was my personal #1 from the start. Later, I found out this was the #1 winning coffee in the very first Nicaragua CoE Competion, 3 years ago! It is from the small, private family-owned farm of Bernabe Garcia, in the Palo Blanco region of Jinotega. It is traditional wet-processed coffee with patio drying. Coffees from Jinotega are higher grown than most of the Matagalpa coffees, and have a brighter cup overall. Add to this the citrusy Caturra cultivar, and there is a more dynamic "top end" to this flavor profile. The aromatics and fragrance of this cup are a tad more intense than the Coop 15 de Septiembre lot, not as sweet but more pungent and aggressive. The Body seems fairly light after a 24 hour rest but does continue to thicken with longer rest periods. But with the 1 full day rest I get the best balance from the cup, and its main flavor note (aromatic woodiness) emerges. This is a flavor quality found in Nicaraguas that may take some time to appreciate, but is really unique. It is not sweet, but not bitter ... in this case it is most like Cedar and Redwood, like a walk in the forest! There is a subtle sweetness in the aftertaste of this cup, very nicely balanced with a black walnut hint in the finish. I don't think this cup will conk you on the head with outrageous and obvious character, but thats really not what the CoE process of finding "excellent" coffee is about. It is not about quantity. It is about quality. For example, the highest quantity of acidity in the cup scores lower than the best quality of that acidity. In this case, the flavor compontents add up to a very desirable overall flavor profile, thus Cupper's Correction +1. It's a crowd-pleaser, it is attractive ...and that's what it's all about!


Bernabe Garcia above, and family...
Wet Aroma (1-5) 3.9
Brightness - Acidity (1-10) 8.5
Flavor - Depth (1-10) 8.8
Body - Movement (1-5) 3.5
Finish - Aftertaste (1-10) 8.6
Cupper's Correction (1-5) 1 Intensity/Prime Attribute: Medium Intensity / Aromatics, unique flavors
add 50 50 Roast: Full City. I roasted my samples to varying degrees but came away with the best overall cup with a true Full City roast (443 f), to the verge of 2nd crack without entering it. BUT ... I really had very nice cups from the El Regreso at all degrees of roast, lighter and darker - this is a very versatile coffee.
Score (Max. 100) 88.1 Compare to: Just a really nice Nicaraguan cup profile, extraordinary "origin character" for a Jinotega coffee.
Nicaragua SHG Matagalpa - San Martin Estate
Country: Nicaragua Grade: SHG Region: Matagalpa Mark: San Martin Estate, Ramacafe
Processing: Wet-processed Crop: Late 2003 arrival Appearance: .1 d/300gr, 17-18 Screen Varietal: Typica, Catuai Rojo
Dry Fragrance (1-5) 3.7 Notes: San Martin is a medium-sized coffee estate in the highlands of Matagalpa. It is one of two farms owned by the Hueck family under their company name, Ramacafe. I met the ubiquitous Henry Hueck at the Nicaragua Cup of Excellence competition and in Honduras; indeed, Henry seems to be everywhere at once when it comes to coffee. It is this passion for coffee that translates to the farms; La Virgen (his other larger farm) is pristine, a model farm for its technique and care for the workers. Coffees from Matagalpa have a unique cup character that rarely falls into the sweet-fruited-clean-delicate category; they are bold, bittersweet, balanced, with hints of chocolate, spice and (as in this case) a nice aromatic woodiness. I tested this coffee at a variety of roasts and especially liked its range: it holds up well into the darker roast range making it especially nice as a French Roast base. It's a dense bean that doesn't get that ashy flavor at a darker roast setting. And it has great body that doesn't diminish with more roasting, as come coffees do. The acidity is fairly muted, and overall cup profile has a neat aromatic woodiness to it (cedar? a little oaky?) with a pleasant bittersweetness in the flavor through to the finish.

Coffee planted on steep hill at the Hueck farm.
Wet Aroma (1-5) 3.4
Brightness - Acidity (1-10) 8.3
Flavor - Depth (1-10) 8.5
Body - Movement (1-5) 4
Finish - Aftertaste (1-10) 8
Cupper's Correction (1-5) 0 Roast: See above : City + is fine but the chocolate notes at Full City+ are best. You can take this coffee to Vienna roast with exceptional results, and on into French without losing body. <