Flavour description: A sweet aroma of dried apricot. This is a delicate cup with notes of apricot, brown sugar and citric zest with a cooling finish. The coffee has a light to medium mouthfeel of elderflower lemonade.
Colour: Turquoise
Category: Comfortable
Producer: The Mierisch family
Varietal: Java
Processing: Fully washed. Common for Nicaragua, the coffee is washed and separated by density directly at the farm before it is taken by truck to the process station. At the processing station the coffee is de-pulped (beans removed from the coffee cherry), fermented overnight and dried on raised beds.
Location: Lipululu in the region Jinotega
Farm size: 20 manzanas (about 13 hectares)
Elevation: 1450-1500 meters above sea level
Harvest: January to February 2023
Price Transparency: The FOB price paid for this coffee was 4,59 US$/Ib
Las Delicias has come to be one of the coffees strongly recognised with Drop Coffee, based on the taste profile as well as the ambitious people behind it.
We have bought from Las Delicias since its second commercial harvest in 2017. It blew our mind that a coffee could be so delicate and floral in its taste profile coming from Nicaragua. On top of that the Mierisch family is doing sustainability work on their farm, in terms of agricultural as well as social, that inspires us.
About Mierisch and Las Delicias
But as you know, delicious coffee does not just happen. The farm used to be run by Eleane Mierisch, she was one of the leading lights in coffee processing in Nicaragua and Honduras. Unfortunatey we lost Eleane in 2023, a very dear friend to Drops co-owners, Joanna & Steve, and a massive loss to the coffee industry. We are so happy to have Las Delicias reminding us of her ambitions in coffee, and almost always with a proud smile on her face. Thankfully, this coffee was not a one woman show, but a team approach from the whole family Mierisch. The Mierisch family, Dr Erwin Mierisch, his son Erwin and his grand son Erwin jr, are not only super skilled in the agricultural and what varietal that fits where, the reason the coffee from the family Mierisch is tasting so clear and sweet in the final cup, is thanks to this combination of peoples leading knowledge in coffee processing. You can read more about the Mierisch family and the farms here.
Las Delicias is located in the region of Jinotega at an average altitude of 1450 metres above sea level, which is considered high for Nicaragua as the county is located higher over sealevel. Las Delicias is 20 manzanas (about 13 hectares) in size and all of it is planted with coffee. The Mierisch is committed to land and to maintain biodiversity, you would spend 10 minutes on the farm with any of them before you hear them say "to be grateful to mother nature".
About the Java varietal
The coffee-growing at Las Delicias is the mother plant to the Javas we buy from Bolivia. Seedlings from Las Delicias were brought to Roudriguez' Alasitas to try out new varietals in Bolivia as they give such a delicate, and sweet cup in Nicaragua.
Java is often called Longberry as that is just what it looks like - the berries and the seeds (beans) are long and slim. The Mierischs calles their variteal Javanica.
Sustainability
The Mierisch family are active in social projects around the farms. Not only do they have a full-time kitchen team at their farms to make breakfast and lunch, with 1000 tortillas going out every day. They have also built daycare centres and schools for the workers' children, located on the farms. Children helping their families at the farms is common in Nicaragua, but instead, they are asked to go to school or leave the kids with the caretaker at the nursery Mierisch built, as they are working. The workers are also offered help with family planning, and medical advice from specialised staff. Drop Coffee has done impact reports with the producers we are working with, it is big and comprehensive with everything from workers insurance, through looking after nature to payment to producers, and they are the only producer we have met who overachieve the report.
