Doña Margarita - Espresso from Nicaragua

Doña Margarita - Coffee Info

How we prepare the coffee

The complexity of this coffee allows plenty of room for experimentation during extraction. The standard 9 bar profile performs absolutely convincingly and at least as well, if not better, than a flow profile.

A cup with plenty of power and vibrant acidity comes from the standard 9 bar profile at a 1:2.1 drink ratio and 28 seconds. The bold and lively acidity is perfectly balanced by the sweetness. A slightly longer extraction tames the acidity more and shifts the flavor profile from red currants, passion fruit, and light floral notes to fruity chocolate, magnolia, and tropical fruits. This cup emphasizes the heavy, dense body. With a vibration pump, the extraction time extends by 2–3 seconds.

With the flow profile, we didn't quite reach our flavor ideal this time, which provides some comfort to those without adjustable pressure and flow profiles. We achieved an incredibly elegant cup, but we felt we lacked some punch and thus some of the character of this coffee. We start with a slightly longer pre-infusion of 9 seconds and a regulated flow of 4ml/sec. We then continue brewing at 8.5 bar. We stop the extraction at 26–28 seconds.

Why does the coffee taste the way it does?

The cherries are placed in barrels and stored this way for two weeks. This intensive yet highly controlled fermentation intensifies the lush fruit notes. The cherries are then dried in thin layers on air-permeable raised beds. This slows fermentation so the coffee retains its clear notes. This flavor profile is not standard; it is the laborious, detail-oriented work of people constantly seeking new ways to make coffee even better.

Why did we purchase this coffee?

We share a long friendship and partnership with Claudia from Bridazul. Together, we have experimented, innovated, changed, and improved much. This coffee is filled with passion, dedication, and tireless experimentation and refinement. It is a testament to modern coffee cultivation and perfectly reflects how coffee quality can be brought to the highest level through precise work from harvest through processing to drying. These wild flavors and vibrant acidity, supported by sweetness and creamy body, stand far apart from average coffee quality in the region and in the world.

How do we roast this coffee?

We roast the coffee as a 20kg batch on our 30kg Giesen roaster. With a total roasting time of 11:50 and a development time of 1:30 minutes, we quickly bring the coffee into first crack and develop slightly longer than usual. This intensifies the balance between sweetness and acidity. Since the beans come from different farms and we aim for uniform roasting of all beans, this roast is one of the few we roast with increasing airflow. This distributes the hot air evenly and roasts the beans more uniformly throughout.

Shipping also available via coffee mail

All our coffees can be ordered in the form of coffee mail. It is treated like a regular letter and arrives in your mailbox. This reduces the postage for 250g of coffee from 7 to 2 francs. At checkout, you can choose between coffee mail, A-Post, and B-Post options.