Description
Borrowing techniques from winemaking, this carbonic maceration natural from Matagalpa highlights a crisp, juicy sweetness. It features a unique cherry cola and black cherry profile anchored by a smooth, dark chocolate finish.
This carbonic maceration natural is the result of a specialized collaboration between Gold Mountain Coffee Growers and member farmers across the Matagalpa and Jinotega regions. Borrowing from winemaking techniques, the process involves a multi-stage fermentation in oxygen-free tanks where carbon dioxide is introduced to create internal agitation within the cherry. This precise environment, monitored carefully via pH and Brix levels for up to 264 hours, transforms the Red Catuai and Caturra Estrella varieties into something far more complex than a standard natural. The goal was to create a cup that is dramatically sweet and juicy while remaining accessible, proving that experimental processing can be both high-impact for the palate and high-benefit for the farming communities.
The cup profile avoids the extreme, funky fermented notes often associated with this method, opting instead for a balanced and clean fruit intensity. It opens with an inviting aroma of peach and dark chocolate, leading into a unique and playful flavor of cherry cola and ripe black cherry. The carbonic maceration emphasizes a crisp malic acidity—think of the snap of a fresh apple—which gives the coffee its distinct juiciness. It finishes with a smooth, lanolin-like texture and a mild earthy sweetness that grounds the vibrant fruit. It is a sophisticated, approachable microlot that shifts the perspective of what a Nicaraguan coffee can be.
