Nicaragua
La Esperanza
Maria Esther Ponce

Our first Nicaraguan in almost three years! This Caturra is rich with notes of cherry, dried cranberry, and sweet almonds.

Washed process Caturra

Flavour: cherry, dried cranberry, almond

Body: Acidity:

Roast: omni (filter + espresso)

Maria Esther’s is the first Nicaraguan on our shelves for almost 3 years! It has all the characteristics of a classic coffee from this region: sweet with notes of cherry, dried cranberry, and sweet almonds. A real all-day-drinker coffee.

Maria has been directly involved in coffee production for 6 years. Her passion stems from her parents and grandparents, who have worked at Finca La Esperanza for over 80 years. This farm, which name means ‘the hope’, was the family’s chosen medium towards a fair and decent living.

Maria Esther and her siblings all moved to live aboard. Every time they returned for a visit, they would get involved in this or that during harvest and process, gradually gaining experience. Eventually, she “took the baton” and now is in charge of the business, with the support of her husband Rodrigo, who is in charge of the financials and logistics, and Elmer, a trusted man who directs the agronomic management.

Maria Esther and her coffee beans.

In Finca La Esperanza, they focus on the varieties that are resistant while producing a high-quality cup, ensuring the profitability and sustainability of the enterprise. Some of the varieties grown to date are Catimor, Java, Catuai, Maragogype and Caturra (the one that makes up this coffee lot).

One of the things Maria Esther enjoys the most is the aroma—it brings back memories of childhood—and knowing that the product has been grown under her leadership, at La Esperanza.

Maria Esther around her farm’s coffee trees.

Certifications: UTZ, Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade, PECA

All the images and information about this coffee and its producers have been kindly shared by the importer, Caravela, and edited by us, Sample Coffee (unless linked to or credited otherwise).

Resting your beans inside the sealed bag helps develop peak flavours and acidity.

Learn how long and why you should wait on our brewing window recommendations guide.

Try our step-by-step recipes and videos.

Our recipes are easy to follow and designed to bring the best out of our coffee. Find your favourite method on our brew guides collection or test a new one—and if you have any questions, ask us anytime at [email protected].

Learn everything about this coffee:

Ethical, traceable sourcing

This page has all the sourcing information (variety, process, region, story, importer, and more) that our importers share with us, and give us permission to use.

The transparency helps us talk confidently about the quality and background of our product, and it helps you know exactly what you’re buying.

Learn more:
Coffee page transparency legend
Our coffee philosophy
Our business approach

Fresh harvest coffee

We only source and roast coffee from each country’s latest harvest season (so the green coffee is never older than 1 year from the time of picking, processing and packing). This ensures the sensory qualities are always at their peak and unaffected by excessive ageing.

Roasted for espresso and filter (best enjoyed black)

Roast style: omni. Omni roasts are designed to brew and taste great both as espresso and filter. Our omni single origins generally sit on Agtron values in the ~70-60 value range. So, technically, they are somewhere in the lighter side of the medium spectrum.

Designed for espresso and filter brewing. Best enjoyed black.

Learn more:
Our Loring Kestrel S35 roaster
Our roasting style and approach

Best brewed within days 15-49 post-roast

The ‘fresh is best’ saying doesn’t apply to coffee (contrary to popular belief). Waiting before opening and brewing your bag of whole coffee beans helps develop peak flavour and acidity.

But heads up: if you buy pre-ground coffee, brew it as soon as possible.

Learn more:
Our recommended brewing window

Try our custom brewing recipes

Our recipes and ratios are tailored to our coffee sourcing and roasting styles, bringing the best flavour and feel out of each coffee.

For pour over, immersion, and other filter brewing styles, check our brew guides.
For our espresso single origins, we recommend a coffee:yield ratio of 1:3:

Dose: 20g ground coffee
Yield: 60g espresso
Total brew time: ~24-28 seconds

This is just a starting point! We encourage you to experiment, taste, and adjust to find the recipe that you enjoy the most.

Learn more:
Our espresso brew guide (single origin)
Brewing ratio calculator

Packaging and sustainability

Bags: ABA-certified home compostable (AS 5810-2010)
Labels: recyclable
Valves (only on +250g bags): general waste
Box and tape (online orders): recyclable

Learn more:
Our packaging

Producer: Maria Esther Ponce
Country: Nicaragua
Region: Dipilto
Altitude: 1400m above sea level
Variety: Caturra
Process: washed
Harvested: April 2022
Importer: Caravela
Body
Acidity
Tasting notes: Cherry, dried cranberry, almond
Roast style: Omni (filter + espresso)

Variety

Caturra variety

Caturra is a natural mutation of Bourbon that was originally discovered in Brazil in 1937, considered to be the first naturally occurring mutation ever discovered.

The location

Coffee from Nicaragua

The true potential of Nicaraguan coffee has been hindered by a long history of political instability and natural disaster, however successful programs such as the Cup of Excellence competition and the Nicaraguan Specialty Coffee Association have helped drive the potential of Nicaraguan coffee into real quality production

The Matagalpa region of Nicaragua

The region is named after the capital city, with coffee coming from both private estates and cooperatives

Farm processes

Washed process

Machines are used to remove the flesh from the coffee cherry before being fermented in water, washed again, and finally sun dried. This process tends to result in more distinct, cleaner flavours.