Nicaraguan SHG RFA Selva Negra Parainema Washed

Description

Nicaraguan Selva Negra coffee is cultivated in the most ecologically sustainable and socially responsible way possible.  Learn more by reading our Selva Negra Grower Profile.

This is the “fancy” version of their traditional washed processed. Parainema is a single strain of Arabica that is doing very well in Nicaragua and has won many competitions. A newer strain to Selva, it is really in better and better each year as the trees continue to mature. Very large bean size.

Selva Negra’s history is in many ways the history of the coffee in Nicaragua altogether. In the 1880’s the Nicaraguan government invited young German immigrants to come and settle in Nicaragua in order to promote coffee growing in the northern highlands. Many accepted the offer, thus forming the main coffee plantations of the country; some estates bear names of their motherlands. Selva Negra means Black Forest, and the coffee estate is called La Hammonia, Latin for Hamburg. Located approximately 4,000 ft. above sea level, La Hammonia has been producing fine old style Arabica coffee for over 100 years. Eddy Kühl & Mausi Kühl-Hayn, the farm’s proprietors are descendants of two of these original German immigrants – Alberto Vogl and Klaus KÜhl.

Tasting Notes: A very clean and sweet cup of coffee. Medium to full bodied with just a little hint of acidity. Lighter roasts produce a pretty delicate cup with a hint more floral aspect than darker roasts with pretty soft hints of a chocolate/caramel undertone fading into some herbal spice. Medium roasts were a cup everyone would love with smooth chocolaty tones, a hint of malt in the aftertaste, on the sweeter side. Darker roasts produce a very cool sweet malty and smokey type cup – much more full-bodied with a bit more strength to it. Really dark gets a bit edgy.

Roasting Notes: A good clean cup at almost any roast point but lighter roasts will show much different character than medium and dark. Lighter the cup shows some acidity along with herbal and spice notes. A medium roast brings forth smooth chocolaty tones and well developed sweetness, pretty low acidity.  We liked it best just before 2nd crack – kept it nice and smooth but built up decent body and the nice smokey malty tone.

Selva Negra Estate Coffee is grown at a high altitude in a shaded environment. This allows the bean to have a slow development cycle which instills an intense and fulfilling flavor to each bean. The coffee is not only 100% Arabica, but more importantly it is mostly Bourbon and Typica strains (which produce higher quality beans than other varieties of coffee trees). The region of Matagalpa, Nicaragua is mountainous with excellent volcanic soil producing exceptional beans. Finally, the coffee is prepared using an environmentally friendly washing process, which gives the coffee still one more unique quality enhancing aspect.

Selva Negra means Black Forest – beyond the coffee trees below you can see why.

A great example of a good looking production tree and how the fruit ripens at different times – this is what makes hand picking so necessary for good coffee.

After a hard day of picking…

Finally the reception – every afternoon of picking all the workers gather for the cherry reception – this is where the work for the day will be logged and the start of the processing for the cherry. Normally workers get paid by volume but many farms bonus on quality – too many damaged/under-ripe beans in the pick is bad for everyone