This will be the second year that we have featured coffee from Un Regalo de Dios, the celebrated farm of Luis Balladarez Moncada, located in the Mozonte region east of Ocotal.  Once again we were drawn to the portion of the farm known as “el aserradero” (the sawmill) for the impressive sweetness and clarity of flavors evident in the cooling cup.  His innovations in processing and meticulous attention to detail have produced a distinctive style of coffee. 

Cherries are picked at peak ripeness and then allowed to rest for a few hours prior to being mechanically sorted by density rather than the more typical flotation – conserving large amounts of water and reducing waste.  After pulping, a dry fermentation is utilized to speed up the process, as the spring water on his property is so cold that it could delay the fermentation for days.  Finally, he allows the slightest bit of mucilage to remain on the parchment prior to drying in order to increase sweetness and body.

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