Nicaragua Collaborative Apple Microlot

The Nicaragua Collaborative Apple Microlot is an exclusive Pacamara-type specialty coffee from Nicaragua. The microlot owes its name to the striking notes of fresh apple in the cup. It is a small-scale, top-quality harvest roasted by Dutch Barista Coffee, aimed at coffee lovers seeking something special.

Several small-scale coffee farmers from the Jinotega region in Nicaragua joined forces under the banner of Gold Mountain Coffee Growers. The coffee grows on mountain slopes at around 1,300–1,500 metres elevation in this area. The project is a collaboration that has taken years to establish. The result is a microlot born from the farmers’ long-term commitment and focus on quality.

This coffee is roasted fairly lightly to preserve its fresh, fruity notes. Dutch Barista Coffee offers both a filter roast and an espresso roast for this microlot, allowing the bean to shine across different brewing methods without losing its delicate flavor nuances. The light roast highlights the Pacamara bean's bright acidity and natural sweetness.

Juicy fruit notes appear immediately in the cup profile, with distinct accents of Fuji apple, citrus fruits and sweet hints of white sugar. The aroma is rich and layered, releasing scents of pear, ripe yellow plum, peach and even a touch of banana. This combination results in a pleasantly sweet, honey-like body and a soft, silky finish.

The beans undergo a fully washed processing method. After picking, the coffee cherries are depulped, after which the beans ferment and are thoroughly washed with water. This classic washed process gives a clean, transparent flavor and lets the terroir and varietal characteristics speak. Gold Mountain pays exceptional attention to quality control during processing. Before and after fermentation and throughout drying, the beans are carefully sorted several times to remove defects (including by density and color selection). Thanks to this meticulous approach, the pure quality of the Pacamara comes fully into its own in the cup.

Pacamara is the coffee variety used for this microlot. It is an Arabica hybrid created from a cross between Pacas (a compact Bourbon variant) and Maragogype (known for its huge beans). This variety was originally developed in El Salvador and produces exceptionally large beans with complex flavor. Pacamara has a relatively low yield per shrub, which is why many farmers shy away from it, but its outstanding cup quality means the growers in this project cultivate it with enthusiasm.

This coffee also reflects a deliberate commitment to sustainability and ethics in the coffee chain. Gold Mountain Coffee Growers follows a direct-trade model in which coffee goes straight from farmer to roaster without middlemen. The organization provides producers with pre-financing (credit) and technical support to improve both quality and farmers’ livelihoods. Ecologically, significant investments are made as well: Gold Mountain has purchased a section of rainforest to prevent deforestation and complies with strict environmental standards. Gold Mountain also shares seeds of this special Pacamara variant with other farmers in the group so more growers can benefit from the high-quality plant material. The project thus contributes to better incomes for farmers and to environmental protection.

To bring out all the flavor nuances, gentle brewing methods are recommended. Filter preparations such as hand-poured V60, Kalita Wave or Chemex are ideal for fully tasting this coffee’s bright fruit notes. Use freshly ground coffee and water just off the boil (around 93 °C) for a balanced result. Adventurous coffee drinkers can also try this Pacamara as espresso—Dutch Barista has developed a special roast for it. Keep in mind that the apple-like acidity will be prominently present in an espresso interpretation. It is advisable to drink the coffee straight (without milk or sugar) so the refined flavors can express themselves to the fullest.

This microlot has received much praise within the specialty-coffee community. Quality tasters describe the cupping score of this Pacamara as very high—well above the 85 points required for specialty coffee. An American roaster even hailed the lot as "one of the best coffees we have ever had in our roaster". Gold Mountain also notes that its coffees regularly win awards for roasters, for example at championships and quality competitions. Although this specific microlot does not hold an official medal, it is regarded as an exceptional coffee highly esteemed by connoisseurs.

Dutch Barista Coffee packages the Collaborative Apple Microlot in high-quality coffee bags with a freshness valve. The coffee is available in 250 g packs for consumers, as well as larger 500 g and 1 kg formats for professional users or true enthusiasts. The label on the bag clearly states the origin (Nicaragua), variety (Pacamara) and processing method (washed), along with the distinctive name of this batch. Dutch Barista’s house style is clean and informative: the packaging is primarily functional, focusing attention on the special contents. The minimalist look of the bag lets the coffee’s quality speak for itself—the core message is in the taste.

This coffee is available only in very limited quantities and sold out quickly at many retailers. Dutch Barista, for example, had only a handful of bags in stock; at one point just two remained. Worldwide, it is estimated that only a few dozen kilos of this microlot were traded—an extremely small run. The price reflects its exclusivity: in the Netherlands a 250 g bag cost about € 14.99 (roughly € 60 per kilo). In the United States similar microlots were priced around $20–$30 for ~340 g (12 oz). Anyone wanting to secure the Collaborative Apple Microlot therefore had to act fast; once it’s gone, it’s gone.