The 2009 crop of Organic Nicaragua Isabelia has arrived and is tasting fabulous! This coffee is complex, rich and harmonious, with a pleasant chocolatey aroma. In the cup you’ll find deep and intense flavors of cocoa and sweet black cherry with hints of cinnamon. The Isabelia’s balance and sweet character make it an excellent introduction to Central American coffees, and a solid choice for all‐day drinking.
We’ve been purchasing organic coffee from this cooperative at fair trade prices since 2000. The last time I made the long journey to the remote northern highlands to meet with farmers and inspect some of the coffee fincas and beneficios, coop leader David Isaguirre expressed gratitude for our support. The coffee producers at the 15th of September were truly impressed with the visit. They were eager to learn about how their coffees are sold, and what we enjoyed and expected from their coffees for the future. We came away knowing also that this coop had worked very hard to refine their quality processes and took great pride in the result.
The Organic Nicaragua Isabelia uses traditional harvesting and processing methods with little to no mechanization. This coffee is de‐pulped using rustic hand‐cranked de‐pulpers, fermented and washed in wooden tanks using natural spring water. The coffee is pre‐dried at the farms on cajillas (elevated screens) and then collected and taken to the beneficio (mill) for the final drying. The 15th of September coop is comprised of 81 small farms, 11 of whom are currently certified organic.
Our purchases represent a majority of the coop’s organic production for the year, and we support the cooperative additionally by purchasing much of their transitional organic coffees at above‐market prices. This helps insure our continued supply for coming years, and assists producers with healthy incomes as they work to gain organic certification.