Nicaragua Selva Negra: 4 Pound Bundle

Description

Selva Negra Estate (La Hammonia) — Matagalpa, Nicaragua

Selva Negra Estate—also known as La Hammonia—is a historic coffee farm and private nature reserve in the mountains of Matagalpa, northern Nicaragua. Beyond producing specialty coffee, it includes an ecolodge and an organic farm, with bird-friendly practices and Rainforest Alliance certification, making it a flagship destination for sustainable coffee in Central America.

Identity & Origins: Selva Negra’s roots reach back to the late 19th century. The Kühl family and their descendants have preserved the coffee tradition since the late 1800s, revitalizing the estate from 1974 onward and transforming it into a diversified, sustainable project that today unites tourism, conservation, and high-quality coffee.

Terroir: Coffee grows under shade within cloud-forest landscapes at ~1,200–1,300 meters above sea level (≈4,000–4,300 ft). The combination of altitude, volcanic soils, and shade slows cherry maturation, encouraging cups that are sweet, layered, and intense.

Varieties & Processing: The estate cultivates traditional varieties such as Bourbon and Typica, alongside Caturra, Catuaí, and micro-lots of Geisha. Selva Negra is proficient in multiple processing methods—washed, honey, and natural—yielding profiles that range from malty sweetness and cocoa to floral and citrusy nuances in Geisha lots.

Recent lot examples:

• Mirador (Caturra, washed): a classic high-elevation expression focused on clarity and sweetness.

• Geisha (various processes, incl. washed/natural): delicate floral and citrus notes with elegant sweetness.

• Catuaí Natural: fuller body and fruit-forward sweetness due to on-cherry drying.

• Selva Negra Washed: balanced sweet edge, medium-to-full body, and complex malty tones.

Sustainability & Community: Selva Negra is a reference point for environmental practices: organic production, habitat conservation for birds, and responsible water and waste management (including converting by-products into compost), reinforcing a model that benefits both the local community and the surrounding ecosystem.

Nicaraguan Premium Selva Negra – Mirador Caturra – Washed Processed

Tasting Notes: A very clean and fresh batch from Selva Negra. A little citric & floral acidity upfront, balanced with nice complex nutty & malty undertones. Light roasts are going to be a little front loaded with the brighter characteristics, a higher rated cup meaning one will notice some decent crisp acidity at the light-medium roasts. Will give great depth of flavor but may be a little sharp for some. Our favorite roast and a great everyday drinker was in the medium roast ballpark, builds more of a smooth and creamy cup with a sweet edge, reducing that perceived acidity to just a pinch. Turns much stronger, a robust cup most would say, into the darker roasts but shined nicely; fuller bodied with strong malty and smoky tones, still a sweeter edge to it which darker roast fans will love.

Roasting Notes: A little more challenging to roast but luckily tastes pretty good no matter where you roast it to. Error lighter than darker when playing around. Although this cup tastes like a nice Ethiopian natural, it will roast much more two toned. When shooting for a nice light roast, judge it by the lighter shades of beans, make sure they get through first crack then cool it out. A speckled roast is normal, you will see 2-3 shades of beans when done roasting, this coffee is produced to give those results

Nicaraguan Premium Selva Negra – San Felipe Geisha – Washed Processed

Tasting Notes: Great light to medium roast coffee. Although we have carried the San Felipe lot for years, having the Geisha separate this season has brought a ton of new tastes. East to tell the difference when compared to the other strains Selva Negra grows. Best at the light to medium roast level, these beans have a bit more acidity than anything else from Selva Negra. The cup is very floral and citric especially at lighter roasts. Not quite jasmine floral, a little more traditional citric, but very tasty; delicate and sweet edged. Where one can see the prime Geisha attributes is in the darker tones of the cup, black tea spice  jumps right out. Light roasts are heavy on the citric and floral balanced just a touch of tea like spice with herbal overtones. Medium roasts are where most will want to shoot, defined tea like spice with some sweet crisp floral upfront. Darker roasts turn a bit plain, still very drinkable but not much uniqueness.

Roasting Notes: Easy to roast, great prep on the beans and roasts pretty even. We would shoot for a medium roast at first and go lighter or darker to your preference. Medium to low chaff. Setup helps smooth out the cup especially if shooting for a pretty light roast. Medium to dark roasts were great even 12 hours after roasting.

Nicaraguan RFA Selva Negra – Washed Processed

Tasting Notes: A very nice and super fresh batch of their traditional farm aggregate. A little hint of citrus floral upfront balanced with nice complex malty tones. Great everyday drinker at a medium roast, balanced with a sweet edge. A heftier cup at the darker roasts and equally as tasty, fuller bodied with strong malty and smoky tones but still retains that sweeter edge to it.

Roasting Notes: Easy to roast, great prep on the beans and roast pretty even. Make sure hit a medium roast or darker, with being a little lower acidity, not a ton of jazz at those lighter roast points but as you progress the roast it builds that great malty tone that Nicaragua is known for.

Nicaraguan Premium Selva Negra – Yellow Catuai – Natural Processed

Tasting Notes: A very cool exotic cup best at the light to medium roast points but tasty from light to dark. The cup is a bit sweeter and brighter than the washed or honey processed. At lighter roasts one will get hints of citric and red fruit tones balancing with a slightly herbal malt like darker tone. Takes a little longer setup after roasting but clean and easy drinking at the lighter roast points. Medium roasts move the fruitier tones to the aftertaste and pronounce the rich maltiness of the cup. The red fruit can be more easily seen as the cup cools, or in cold brew. Darker roasts are hardly fruity but retain the sweet edge, a little smoky/roasty/malt like note makes for a tasty treat.

Roasting NotesHigher chaff and will roast a little two toned in color. Error lighter than darker when playing around. When shooting for a light roast, judge it by the lighter shades of beans, make sure they get through first crack then cool it out. A speckled roast is normal, you will see 2-3 shades of beans when done roasting, this coffee is produced to give those results.