Caffe Society Speciality Coffee: La Bendición Pacamara
Our summer batch of season speciality coffees contained just three different varieties, but what a trio they are!
So far, we’ve taken a closer look at the volcanic Chapadao de Ferro and the wonderfully versatile UNICAFEC Arabica. Therefore, that leaves one left: the La Bendición Pacamara.
You could say that we’ve left the best until last and if you go on scores handed out by the Cup of Excellence judges you’d be absolutely right in saying so. This is a really vibrant coffee that has bundles of flavour. It’s a proper Central American arabica and it’s one that’ll blow your socks off.
La Bendición
La Bendición is a plantation owned by Luis Alberto Balladarez, a long-standing and well respected coffee farmer who is a perennial entrant in the Cup of Excellence event. Balladarez has been growing coffee for years and is truly one of the best in the business – what he doesn’t know about cultivation isn’t worth knowing.
The farm is located in the far north of Nicaragua, up near where La Cordillera de Dipilto y Jalapa separates the country from neighbouring Honduras. Thanks to the mountainous terrain for the region, the region has something of a unique and contrasting microclimate: The towns on the peak’s south face are baked in sunshine yet those on the north side are engulfed in green and often blanketed in rain. It is these conditions which Balladarez utilises to make some exceptional, knock-out coffees.
Just a couple of years ago one lot from Finca La Bendición achieved a Presidential Score in the Cup of Excellence programme and his efforts have also been recognised by the Speciality Coffee Association of America.
This lot is a Cup of Excellence finalist.
The technical bits…
La Bendición lies on the north side of the mountain range at an average altitude of 1,250m. This lot is solely comprised of Pacamara arabica – a hybrid of the Bourbon derivatives Maragogype and Pacas – which, when ripe, is transported to the southern facing town of Ocotal for processing. The beans are hand-sorted before being washed and left to dry out in the baking Latin American sun.
- Origin: La Providencia, Jalapa, Nicaragua
- Farm: Finca La Bendición
- Altitude: 1,250m
- Varietal: Pacamara
- Process: Washed and sun-dried
In the cup
A distinct crisp edge runs throughout this La Bendición Pacamara, one that draws you back in time and time again. When tasting, the first thing that we put down was its vibrant profile of green grape and citric acidity. This refreshing blast
Backed up with a medium body and an alluring, sweet chocolate finish, this La Bendición makes for one outstanding espresso and one beautifully nuanced filter.
Tasting profile
- Body: 7
- Sweetness: 7
- Acidity: 9
- Flavour: 9
- Aftertaste: 9
- Aromatics: 8
- Clean Cup: 9
- Total: 58
- Correction: +30
- Overall Score: 88
Brewing recommendations
Make a big song and dance about this and add it to your menu as either a special single-origin espresso or your filter coffee of the month.
We advise against using it to create lattes and other milk-based drinks as the milk really does mute the flavours that set this coffee apart.
Finca La Bendición Pacamara is available to buy now and costs £5.50 per 250g.
It also forms part of our Speciality Coffee Bundle which includes four great seasonal coffees and one great price.