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I am pleased to introduce a very special coffee from two of my father’s farms in Nicaragua: Placeres and Limoncillo. Not only is this coffee a Pacamara varietal, it is also comprised of the peaberries from the plant.
What is a peaberry? A coffee cherry typically contains two seeds. When only one seed develops, it is a peaberry, which accounts for less than five percent of a coffee tree’s production. When the efforts of the plant are concentrated on one seed, it concentrates the flavors that were originally destined for two.
What is a Pacamara varietal? Pacamara is a naturally occurring hybrid from El Salvador and a subtype of the Maragogype (“elephant†or “giant beanâ€) and Pacas varietal. Like the Maragogype, it is a low yielding plant, which means less fruit per tree. My father planted acres of this varietal on his farm in Nicaragua seven years ago.
Why has this coffee arrived so late in the season? If you have been paying attention to Intelligentsia’s dedication to seasonality, you might be wondering about the launch of a coffee from Nicaragua in October. The main reason is the manner in which peaberries are processed.
The final stages before exporting a coffee occur at the dry mill. The coffee seeds are de-husked and then travel through screens with holes that sort by size. Next, the coffee travels to gravity tables that sort by density and then down conveyor belts where workers carefully hand-sort the coffee and pick out the defects. Peaberries have traditionally been lumped in with these inferior coffees. More recently, this type of coffee has been separated, roasted, and cupped with surprising results. Far from inferior, peaberries demonstrate unique and desirable flavors on the cupping table.
Given that 1.) peaberry is 5% of all coffee produced, 2.) the Pacamara is a scarce varietal, and 3.) the required processing, it took the full milling season to accumulate enough coffee to send to Intelligentsia. Since the milling ended in August, an October launch seems just about right.
This coffee is truly special. Assembling a Pacamara requires an extensive amount of work. It is the result of good planning in cultivation, careful lot separation during both wet and dry milling, and great care in the separation and storage of the final beans. This coffee comes from a number of plantios, or lots, which range in elevation from 1050-1250 meters. It was harvested over a three-month period between January and March, after which it was processed using the washing method at the wet mill. After this time, the coffee began its process of sun bathing and resting. The coffee was then milled from July to August and was shipped on August 17th.
Since the coffee comes from two farms, we chose to name it for the mill that processed it. My father’s mill is named for his father-in-law, “Beneficio Don Esteban†and I am proud to offer a coffee named after my grandfather. We, both Intelligentsia and my family, hope you enjoy the coffee.
OCTOBER 2009 | STEVE MIERISCH IS AN EAST COAST SALES REPRESENTATIVE
FOR INTELLIGENTSIA. HE LIVES AND WORKS IN NEW YORK CITY.
DON ESTEBAN PACAMARA PEABERRY, Nicaragua
CHARACTERISTICS
STEVE’S NOTES
FLAVOR……………………….Floral, honey, caramel
ACIDITY � � �…………………..Balanced, citron
MOUTHFEEL……………..Silky
FINISH � � � � � � �…………………..Cedar, white grapefruit, pecan
LOCATION………………….Matagalpa
FARMER………………………….Erwin Mierisch
FARM………………………………Limoncillo, Placeres
VARIETAL……………………Pacamara
ALTITUDE……………………1050 – 1250 m
HARVEST…………………….January – March 2009
COFFEE
INTELLIGENTSIA COFFEE PRESENTS
TASTING NOTES
Forthright notes of acacia blossom and honeysuckle combine with a balanced citron acidity and buckwheat honey to make a most tranquil cup. The silky mouthfeel drifts into a lingering finish of white grapefruit, roasted pecans and a hint of fresh cedar.
info source http://www.intelligentsiacoffee.com/files/Pacamara_Peaberry_nic_1009.pdf
