Thumbnail Filmstrip of Nicaragua Maceration for the Masses Images

About Nicaragua Maceration for the Masses

Arrived August 2025, new crop, grainpro lined painted bags.

Fully ripe coffee cherries with maceration tanks behind them.

Carbonic maceration was originally developed as a winemaking technique, but using the technique in coffee fermentation emphasizes juiciness (from apple-like malic acidity) and fruit notes. After years of experimentation, the exporter who partners with local producers in Nicaragua, has perfected this process with many varieties of coffee. The idea behind this lot is to have a dramatically-fruity, juicy and sweet coffee that can be economically accessible to coffee roasters while benefiting producers by offering higher income specialty coffees. This lot can change perspectives of the taste of coffee from Nicaragua, while improving the quality of lives there.

The carbonic maceration process for naturals begins by picking fully ripened fruit. The coffee cherries are fermented in two steps, in a tank outfitted with air traps and spigots. During the first fermentation coffee cherries are kept for some days without air or water; the air traps are used to remove oxygen. The second fermentation is with pure mountain water but again with no air. Carbon dioxide is introduced to add internal agitation as well as being part of the complex changes taking place during the cherries maceration. Fermentation ends when coffee has reached a precise Ph (acidity level) and Brix measurements are also taken to assure sweetness. The method emphasizes fruit flavors rather than intense, sometime alchol-like intensity. The fermentation process took between 5 and 10 days. Drying takes place on raised beds for a period of slightly more than a month before it has achieved its target humidity.

Country: Nicaragua
Producers: Member farmers from Matagalpa and Jinotega
Altitude: 1300 - 1600 meters
Coffee Varieties: Red Catuai, Caturra Estrella & Pacas Bourbon
Processing: Natural, with Carbonic Maceration
Fermentation time: 111 to 264 hours
Drying: Raised beds approximately 1 month

We purchased this coffee from an exporter who works on the ground in Nicaragua. Gold Mountain Coffee Growers is a social enterprise that, in addition to its own farm (Finca Idealista), works directly with coffee producers in Nicaragua. They say they literally stand on every partner farm during picking to ensure ripeness with refractometers and ripeness bracelets. In addition, they also carry out sustainable development projects in communities, such as free computing classes for girls from coffee communities, medical assistance, microcredit, running water in schools, and educational supplies.

Cup Characteristics: Aromas of peach and dark chocolate. Balanced and cleanly processed with concentrated sugars. Flavors of cherry cola and black cherry, with a lanolin and mildly earthy finish. A very approachable Natural with mid-level fruit intensity.

Roasting Notes: Allow 90 seconds or more of development time to bring out the fruit from the carbonic maceration process. The roast will run a little quicker as do most Naturals.