Nicaragua Coffee Guide – Taste Profile, Best Beans & Brewing Tips

Coffee cultivation, as with other Central American nations, has played a crucial role in Nicaragua’s culture as well as economic growth. Coffee was initially grown on a significant scale in Nicaragua in 1850; barely 20 years later, in 1870, it was the nation’s best export crop. It maintained its position for the next 100 years but has fallen a bit short with the competition ever since.

Today, Nicaragua is one of the world’s leading coffee-producing countries. Local coffee is high quality and rich in flavor, with a delightfully pleasing, possibly the best flavor profile. With a favorable climate and excellent topography for a completely java-driven culture, this Central American country is well-positioned for coffee prosperity.

By the late twentieth century, the Nicaraguan coffee business had tens of thousands of coffee plantations and employed approximately 300,000 people with more than 8 different coffee varieties, such as:

Whereas the height of farms and plantations vary across the country, several of the greatest Nicaraguan coffee beans are produced at elevations ranging from 3600 to 5250 feet above sea level. Although other lower locations exist, the majority of Nicaraguan coffee is categorized as “high grown” and fulfills the Completely High Grown coffee criteria.

In this Nicaraguan coffee review, we will further talk about what are the Top 5 Nicaraguan Coffee Brands on Amazon and which one is considered to be the best Nicaraguan Coffee Growing Regions in this country.

Visiting Nicaraguan Coffee Growing Regions

There are a lot of regions where coffee is grown in the country. Some of the regions include Nueva Segovia, Diriamba, Managua Department, Matagalpa, and Jinotega, Chontales Department, Jinotepe, San Marco. However, in this Nicaraguan coffee guide, we will talk about the 2 best ones.

Matagalpa – Best Nicaraguan Beans are Grown Here

Matagalpa is in the country’s north and is well known for growing high-altitude beans. The region has an amazing tropical climate, large wooded areas and high-reaching mountains (2300 feet) with volcanic soil. It is THE perfect place for cultivating coffee beans.

Some farmers in this region like to honey-process their coffee beans, resulting in a blend of natural and clean coffee. This method allows the sugars to ferment longer, resulting in a tastier Nicaragua roast coffee. It boasts a fruit flavor profile, with overtones of caramelized mango, honey, and sugar in each and every sip.

Jinotega – Higher Elevation Gourmet Beans

Jinotega is a marketplace term that comes from the term Xinotencatl, which means “city of old men” or “neighbors of the Jinocuabos.”

This is a great coffee-growing region known for producing high-quality coffee, especially Bourbon and Caturra varieties. Its moist, tropical environment, as well as its volcanic grounds, contribute to its amazing coffee-growing efficiency.

In terms of taste, you will probably notice a great mix of sugar and bitterness that complements its substantial body as well as a smooth finish. With each sip, you will get flavors of chocolate and nuts, as well as undertones of citrus, plum, and even orange. Because of its well-balanced tastes, you will have no trouble making a cup using whatever technique you like.

Jinotega is situated in Nicaragua’s north-central region. The temperature, moisture, & altitude of the area are ideal for Arabica coffee beans. The region’s coffee fields are mostly located around 1100 to 3000 feet above sea level.

Top 5 Nicaraguan Coffee Brands on Amazon

How We Rated Them

We pay attention to the following:

• Price

• Company Background

• Taste

• Shelf-life

• Additives

For more detailed information on how exactly we rate the coffee products we suggest in our guides, click here.

Individual Overviews of Our Top Choices

You may always read Amazon reviews for these goods, however, you might also be curious about our thoughts on Nicaraguan coffee. Below are thorough descriptions of the best Nicaraguan coffee brands we discovered on Amazon that met our ranking criteria.

Julian Coffee Nicaraguan Specialty Grade

Luis Angel Lopez, the farm’s proprietor, strives to cultivate the best quality coffee possible and has learned how to create higher-quality coffee over the previous 15 years on his farm. Julian Coffee simply goes to Luis Angel Lopez, procures the beans, and then fresh roasts them for each order they receive.

Julian Coffee Nicaraguan Specialty Grade is one of the best Nicaraguan coffee online that is available on Amazon. It has very high quality and its production has a very long history in the nation. Therefore, if you really want to know which Nicaraguan coffee you should buy at the most affordable price, Julian Coffee is truly one of the best options available.

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Coffee Fool Nicaraguan Matagalpa

I tried this coffee because it seemed to be a really good choice based on the reviews on Amazon. However, when I first tried it, I was a little disappointed. The taste isn’t too good, nor is it very fragrant.

Then it hit me. It’s around $4 per package of 12-ounce coffee, of course, it would be of a little less quality. This particular product reminds me more of Robusta beans than Nicaraguan Arabica in any sense. It does bring in the kick, but it’s not nearly as good as the previous product was.

But, if you’re looking for coffee to just get you going in the morning, without much consideration about the taste, then this could be a pretty good choice when it comes to price.

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Volcanica Nicaragua Jinotega

Volcanica has also reached Nicaragua and sourced beans from Jinotega as expected. I was hoping to find this brand when searching for the best options and I’m happy I found it. Naturally, the product is really good both in terms of taste, quality, and price. $17 for 16 is a really good market standard, especially knowing that the beans are ethically sourced from Nicaragua and well-processed.

I wouldn’t say this is the best Nicaraguan coffee brand from our list, but it definitely is one of the best ones on Amazon for sure.

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Cafe Las Flores Grandes Cosechas

This coffee is smooth and velvety, and also, Organic, shade-grown, and it also has other great qualities. It explodes with the sweet, lemony, well-balanced taste that Nicaraguan coffee is known for. Considering all of this, it is no wonder we liked it so much and added it to the list.

It should also be noted that this product comes in different flavors like Vanilla, hazelnut, caramel, and chocolate. But I personally liked Hazelnut the most. When I initially saw the varied reviews, I was dubious, but thank goodness I purchased this Nicaraguan brew coffee! Highly recommended.

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Gobena Trade Organic Nicaragua

What I liked the most about Gobena was their approach to packaging and sending this product. It was mentioned in the description that the beans are freshly roasted by order and sent on their merry way.

I’m happy to let you all know that it was exactly like this. The moment I opened the package, I knew that the coffee had been roasted maybe 1-2 days prior, only because it took some time to get delivered to me.

All of the flavors I’ve described from Nicaraguan coffee beans can be felt with these beans, but it does go over to the bitter side a bit (mostly due to the dark roast). If you enjoy a slightly stronger brew without anything added (sugar, milk, cream) then this is probably the best option you can get from Nicaragua. Not only do you taste that familiar bitter taste of morning Java, but those natural sweet undertones and flavors as well. What a way to start the day.

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Nicaraguan Coffee Brewing Tips – Best Types & Machines

When it comes to How to make Nicaraguan coffee beans, it should be noted that not all methods are a good idea. Below, I’ve listed the types of brews I’ve found the tastiest and the most satisfying so far.

Colador Strain – Americano Style

The colador strain is a pretty straightforward way of making this coffee. All you’ll need is some ground coffee, hot water, a mug, and a colador (or a cloth filter).

Place your ground Nicaraguan coffee beans on the collador and slowly start pouring the water first around the edges and then in the center of the grounds. Once you’ve poured around 6-7 fluid ounces over 1 ounce of coffee, you can stop and enjoy your drink.

However, if you can’t get your hands on a colador strain, then a Pour-Over will do just as fine.

The Perfect Macchiato

Brewing macchiato with organic Nicaraguan coffee is something that I personally enjoyed doing, not something that is recommended in a sense. I actually wanted to try out a new method for this, so I got my old Siphon machine to try it out. A siphon coffee maker operates on the concept of gas deformation, which allows the equipment to make a full infused type of coffee and filter the ground beans effectively, leaving an easily cleanable, immaculate cup.

But, if you don’t want to go all Alchemist on your coffee, feel free to brew an Espresso with an Espresso Machine or with a Moka Pot or any Percolator of your choice.

You can check out our Macchiato guide if you’d like to learn how a perfect cup is really brewed in the top cafes globally.

Frequently Asked Questions on Nicaragua Coffee Brands