Buena Esperanza is a coffee farm found in the mountainous region of Matagalpa, in central Nicaragua. It forms part of the greater Rajuanse coffee estate, and is owned and operated by Ramiro Ortiz and his family who are working to this day to elevate and advance the farm and its crop. To achieve this goal, Buena Esperanza has leveraged the rich environment of the mountain valley where it is found to grow top-quality coffee, and has implemented numerous ecological conservation and environmental renewal measures, with the aid and support of the neighbouring communities.

We’ve had several coffees from Buena Esperanza before, and we really feel that the Ortiz family consistently produces some of the best lots of Nicaraguan coffee out there. It’s been a while since we’ve specifically had a Rajuanse lot from Cedar, so we’re happy to see it make a return. Even better, this time around Cedar’s offered us two distinct lots to try side by side.

This lot is of the Marsellesa variety, a Timor Hybrid/Villa Sarchi cross sought after for its vibrant acidity, high potential for superior cup-quality and resistance to leaf rust, a fungal disease that can substantially reduce coffee yields and eventually kill affected trees. This already interesting lot has also undergone carbonic maceration, an experimental processing technique borrowed from the wine industry that entails fermenting coffee cherry in a controlled anaerobic environment. This can result in some fairly intense flavours in the eventual cup, like boozy, fermented fruit notes.

Phaedon’s tasting notes

When one reads 'carbonic maceration' on a label, one might project expectations of wild and wacky flavours. I certainly tend to have that bias. It's always good to have one's preconceived notions challenged, especially in coffee, and I can safely say that this coffee did just that for me.

I found this coffee quite bright, tart even, and peachy. It certainly is sweet, but in a more delicate fashion than other anaerobic lots I've tried. I picked up an ever-so-subtle fermented note in my moka pot brew, but otherwise, it seemed to demonstrate none of the hallmarks of experimental fermentation. It made a lovely pour-over where I picked up a medley of zesty fruit flavours.

Cedar’s notes

“Through our tasting, we picked up lots of contrasting flavour notes. This particular process method normally dominates the inherent tasting notes of the terroir with over-fermented fruity notes but this was not the case. Instead we were presented with notes of red apple, blueberries but not of an artificial kind, these were fresh fruit notes on filter. We picked up notes reminiscent of a combination of milky tea and honey on espresso and milk.”

• Cup profile: Apple, blueberry, milky tea and honey

Coffee details from Cedar

• Farm: Buena Esperanza
• Producer: Ramiro Ortiz
• Country: Nicaragua
• Region: Matagalpa
• Process: Carbonic maceration natural
• Altitude: 1100 - 1200masl
• Variety: Marsellesa

“Some of you who have been following us from the beginning might notice this particular farm: Buena Esperanza. This was one of our first coffees that we launched back in 2021 so its a pleasure to bring this new lot back to the scene. A refresher here; Buena Esperanza Estate is the crown jewel of Rajuanse Estates, located in a privileged mountain valley in Matagalpa, Nicaragua. This is a family-owned and run farm headed by Ramiro Ortiz with the sole purpose of bringing this estate back to its former glory.

“This time we selected two lots from this farm to showcase Rajuanse's broad array of processing methods and varieties. This particular lot has grown the Marsellesa, a high-yielding, rust-resistant variety, a cross between Timor Hybrid and Villa Sarchi. This coffee has also undergone a Carbonic Macerated natural process. This is where the coffee cherries are fermented in an airtight container and flushed with CO2 and ferment in a temperature-controlled environment.”