Start with a big chunk of creamy milk chocolate, then swirl in caramel and a little bit of red apple to get this super easy drinking cup.
Finca Limoncillo is one of the farms in the Fincas Mierisch group. Owned and run by the Mierisch family, they're always quick to point out that the success they have had, including multiple Cup Of Excellence awards, is down to the incredible team they have built up. They include experts in every part of coffee production and processing, which always shows in the consistent quality of coffees like this Red Catuai.
This large farm is situated close to Matagalpa city, but most of the full-time workers live on the farm itself. As well as coffee, around a third of the farm is left as native forest, including nine waterfalls. They even use this water supply to drive a small hydroelectric plant, which supplies about 35% of their energy needs.
The Mierisch family has been farming coffee in Nicaragua for over 100 years. Their great-great grandfather, Bruno Mierisch Boettiger, a German geologist, first moved to Nicaragua in the late 1800s as part of the team building the Nicaraguan National Railroad. When the government couldn't pay salaries in full, he was offered land in the mountains of Matagalpa as payment instead. That first farm began coffee production around 1908, and Limoncillo itself was purchased in 1930, named after the small lemons growing on the property at the time. Today, the operation spans multiple generations, with the family's commitment to quality and sustainability evident in everything they do.
The Red Catuai grown here is a hybrid varietal developed in Brazil during the 1940s, created by crossing Mundo Novo and Caturra. It produces red cherries at maturity, distinguishing it from its sibling Yellow Catuai. The variety has become popular among producers due to its compact size and strong productivity. The smaller stature makes harvesting more manageable and allows for denser planting compared to traditional varieties like Bourbon or Typica. The name Catuai derives from the Guarani language, meaning "very good", a fitting description for a varietal that has become a cornerstone of specialty coffee production across Latin America.
Red Catuai tends to have a fuller body than its yellow counterpart and can yield more complex flavour profiles, though this depends significantly on growing conditions and processing. At Finca Limoncillo, the high altitude and volcanic soils of the Matagalpa region allow these characteristics to shine, resulting in a clean, well-rounded cup with the depth and consistency the Mierisch family is known for.
- Country: Nicaragua
- Region: Matagalpa
- Municipality: Yasica Norte
- Farm: Limoncillo
- Producers: The Mierisch Family
- Farm size: 171 hectares
- Coffee growing area: 109 hectares
- Elevation: 1,200 m.a.s.l.
- Variety: Red Catuai
- Processing system: Washed