Qualities of Nicaraguan Coffee
A good Nicaraguan coffee displays a mild, fruity brightness and will tend toward lower-toned sensations such as papaya/apricot and chocolate rather than higher-toned characteristics such as citrus and floral sensations.
The coffees of Nicaragua are characteristic of Central American coffees in general, though typically milder in acidity than most other Central American coffees. Nicaragua coffee is wet processed (washed).
Coffee Plant Varietals of Nicaragua
The coffee plant varietal Bourbon (Coffea arabica var. bourbon) which is grown in Nicaragua is known to produce coffee beans with various mild flavors including vanilla, pear, chocolate, and pie crust.
Sharing a border with Costa Rica and Honduras, Nicaragua produces a range of coffees for the specialty coffee market as well as lower grade coffees. Some of the most popular market names for Nicaraguan coffee are Segovia, Jinotega, and Matagalpa.
The Nicaraguan Coffee Trade
The Nicaraguan coffee trade has gone through turbulent times since it began in the mid-1800s, enduring periods of both high and low demand. In recent decades the Nicaraguan coffee trade has been hurt by civil war and hurricanes as well as the U.S. bans on Nicaraguan imports during the cold war.