Nicaragua Dipilto Monte Libano - A walnut note is enveloped by core flavors of brown sugar and bittersweet chocolate. Big body, the potential for heavy chocolate roast flavors, and mild mannered acidity.
Monte Libano is a farm owned by the same family who run Buenos Aires, Acopio Suyatal, and Finca La Laguna. This is an all Caturra separation from the 1350 meter farm, and we were initially impressed by the clean sweetness found in the middle roast range, an impression solidified after cupping darker roasts upon arrival. The past couple of years they've planted other cultivars as well including the large bean Maracaturra, and Gesha too, and hopefully we'll have an opportunity to taste coffee from those new plantings this season. Monte Libano is milled at the Buenos Aires mill in Ocotal, where all of the farms are being processed for export. They're doing all sorts of processing experiments at Buenos Aires, and are outfitted with raised beds, covered and uncovered patios, color sorting machines, and newer dry milling equipment to catch defects and separate by bean size. This particular lot is wet processed consisting of overnight fermentation, "washing" with fresh water in long channels using wooden paddles to remove the remaining fruit from the seed. All of the 1st qualities are first dried on raised African beds for the first few days, and then finished on patios (6 - 8 days total).