Crema Trekkers: Exploring La Bastilla Coffee Estates, Nicaragua

Crema Trekkers-Exploring La Bastilla Coffee Estates Nicaragua

 

Read more: Crema Chats with CEO Markus Fischer of La Bastilla Coffee Estates

 

NICARAGUA COFFEE BEANS


The Red Catuai coffee beans produced by La Bastilla Coffee Estates, Nicaragua, are grown at altitudes of 1,250-1,350m above sea level and are naturally processed.

Catuai is a high-yield Arabica cultivar developed by the Instituto Agronomico do Campinas in Brazil, produced by crossing Mundo Novo and Caturra. The tree is short, with lateral branches forming close angles to the primary branches, and is more durable in strong winds or rain as the cherries do not come off easily. The institute managed to produce two types of Catuai, including a yellow and red –fruited type, and is primarily grown in Central American countries.

 According to Café Culture, Catuai as a varietal is used for its resistance to the elements, rather than quality, but is also known for producing a high sweet cup.

The El Peñón Blueberry Candy microlot on the estate has optimum soil and altitude for the Red Catuai varietal, creating a truly exceptional coffee. We recommend drinking this Natural Red Catuai as either a black or milk coffee, or as a cold drip or Chemex.

 

Tasting Notes: Good citric acidity, caramel, blueberries and lavender. Finishes smooth and clean, with a delicate aftertaste.

Coffee Plantations on La Bastilla Coffee Estates Nicaragua     Coffee Tree Blossoms on La Bastilla Coffee Estates Nicaragua     Yellow Catuai Coffee Cherries on La Bastilla Coffee Estates Nicaragua     Red Catuai Coffee Cherries on La Bastilla Coffee Estates Nicaragua

LA BASTILLA COFFEE ESTATE – JINOTEGA, NICARAGUA


La Bastilla Coffee Estates is 311 hectares of coffee plantations and natural forest, adjacent to the Cerro Dantali El Diablo nature reserve, approximately 20kms from Jinotega.

The current owners took over in 2003, with Mark Fischer as CEO and agronomist Martin Montero at the helm of the operations. The farm is fully independent, using its own resources for every stage of the operation from seed to export, and has been Rainforest Alliance certified since the takeover.

The farm uses a matrix of micro-lots, harvesting and processing from 19 different sections of the farm, differentiated by their specific “live zones” (micro-climates with specific altitudes, sun exposure, soil conditions, tree coverage, etc.). This matrix allows them to produce a number of varietals and cultivars including, Caturra, Red Catuai, Yellow Catuai, Sarchimor and Geisha. They also use a variety of processes to produce their green beans, including fully washed, red honey and natural process.

Being so close to a nature reserve, the farm supports and maintains a high level of biodiversity. The coffee on the farm is shade grown by 49 species of native shade trees to protect the eco-system that provides the perfect micro-climates for growing coffee. La Bastilla Coffee Estates is also home to 21 species of wild animals and approximately 68 species of birds.


Nicaraguan Coffee Plantation     La Bastilla Coffee Estates Nicaragua


THE GREEN BEAN PROCESS


La Bastilla uses a natural process for their Red Catuai. The natural dry method of processing coffee beans doesn’t require the use of water and is the most delicate process given the increased risk of fermentation than other methods. However, what it does mean is that it’s a more suitable process in regions with lower levels of rainfall and long periods of sunshine.

The natural process is done by picking the coffee cherries once they are very ripe and laying the whole cherries on raised beds or patios, which are raked and turned throughout the drying process to make sure they dry evenly. This process can take up to three weeks, depending on weather conditions, as the cherries need to be carefully dried and a low temperature.

After they have dried to the optimum moisture level, they are placed in sacks and stored away to rest. Then they are prepared for export via a Dry-Milling process: the husk is taken off, and the beans are classified by weight, size and density. The process of drying is crucial to the final quality of the coffee bean, as it effects how heavy the body will be and the flavour profile. Naturally processed coffees tend to have a heavier mouth feel, lower acidity levels and intense flavour profiles.

Of all the microlots, the Natural process used to make the Blueberry Candy is the most difficult and time consuming to process, but the end result is nothing short of exceptional.

Coffee Mill on La Bastilla Coffee Estates    Workers Harvesting Coffee Cherries on La Bastilla Coffee Estates Nicaragua    Natural Process Coffee Beans Nicaragua

 

THE LA BASTILLA EDUCATIONAL & SOCIAL PROJECTS


In 2007, La Bastilla Coffee Estates and its non-profit foundation, Fundacion de Educacion y Emprendedurismo Rural (FEER – the Foundation for Rural Education and Entrepreneurship), established a technical high school on the farm called Centro Tecnico Agropecuario La Bastilla. This technical high school operates as an educational enterprise to combat the problems of public education in Nicaragua, with only 20% of teenagers between the ages of 15 and 18 years old able to access higher levels of education. The school uses a ‘Learn By Doing’ educational model, and even runs several businesses that students are trained to manage themselves, including:

    -La Bastilla Ecolodge and Restaurant

    -Vegetable Cultivation

    -Chicken and Egg Production

    -Dairy Production

    -Pig Rearing

    -Coffee Plant Nursery

     -Bakery

La Bastilla’s technical school currently trains approximately 60 students across three grade levels using a combination of theoretical and entrepreneurial education techniques. This model is being promoted worldwide by the NGO ‘Teach A Man to Fish’ foundation. At the end of their education, students not only receive a high school education, but a nationally-recognized technical degree that helps them find employment prospects and enables them to pursue further academic study if they wish.

La Bastilla Technical Agricultural High School Students    La Bastilla Technical Agricultural High School Students    La Bastilla Technical Agricultural High School Students

 

LA BASTILLA ECOLODGE


The La Bastilla Ecolodge is a hidden gem in the northern mountains of Nicaragua! It sits at around 1,200m above sea level, providing a very temperate climate and panoramic views of the mountains.

The Ecolodge is eco-friendly accommodation, which provides the perfect setting for getting away and back to nature, while supporting the social and educational endeavours of La Bastilla, with all the profits invested back in to the education of the students of the technical high school. The student run accommodation is helping to reduce poverty in the surrounding rural communities and is self-sustained. This includes the attached restaurant where you can enjoy your daily meals!

Also on offer are a range of different activities to keep you busy, including hiking, coffee tours of the plantation and farms, bird-watching, landscaping and more. Learn more about the Ecolodge, including a price list, click here

La Bastilla Ecolodge     La Bastilla Ecolodge     La Bastilla Ecolodge