Nicaragua Finca Buenos Aires Caturra
Nicaragua Finca Buenos Aires Caturra
Farm Description
Finca Buenos Aires Estates is a fairly large farm of about 215 hectares in the Jinotega growing region. We cupped through a few small lots from the farm and I was really impressed with the clean sweetness of this cultivar-specific batch. It is all Caturra, which is a cultivated mutation of Bourbon that occurred in Brazil in the mid '30s, but was planted in South and Central America mostly in the 1950s. Buenos Aires is a rather low farm compared to other origins we buy, with this lot coming from about 1200 meters. I found it very balanced, clean, moderately bright and very sweet, perhaps showing how relative farm altitude can be in relation to cup quality.
This coffee is part of our Farm Gate pricing program.Cupping Notes
The Buenos Aires Caturra has an interesting dry fragrance, with a nice grain sweetness I would described as "honey puffed wheat cereal." There's a bit of maltose, caramel and milk chocolate, but as you add the hot water, the wet aroma shifts to a more floral scented coffee. General wildflower notes are present, with a bit of corriander and that honey-wheat cereal backdrop. I also had more apple notes and honeysuckle floral qualities when the coffee was cupped a day previous, on 12 hours rest post-roast. The cup is really delightful; clean and crisp brightness, red-apple fruit notes, and a succinct, sweetly-disappearing aftertaste. Sweet malty grain and honey, as suggested by the aroma, are the dominant roast taste at City+ level. It's a very restrained cup, balanced, but borders on being juicy in flavor and mouthfeel. It finishes with a nice light milk chocolate bittersweet. I am really happy with this coffee, such a nice "crowd-pleaser" cup profile, accessible, but with nice nuances as well.
Score
Lot Size
Roast Recommendations
City+ to Full City+.Processing
Varietal
Grade & Appearance
Packaging
Comments
#1 a couple different looks at it
roast on 8/29/11 - soft stone fruit in dry aroma, mild floral note in City. Honey on wet with almond, more almond on the break. nutty (almond) on the front of the palate with a slight savory note in FC. Apricot emerges as cools, pairs nicely with almond flavors. The FC is sweet with a nice balanced brightness, yet not with distinctive notes from the brightness. This coffee's probably best at C+.
roast on 9/12/11 - @C+ right at door of FC. Vanilla and biscuit on dry, with honey and banana on break. Banana bread with dry walnut acidity in warm cup. More nectarine as cools, great balance with the brightness, just slightly starchy body in a really pleasant way. Banana and nectarine