It's important to understand that Nicaragua was the first coffee-producing country we visited, even before Right Side Coffee was founded—back in 2010. Back then, we visited the quintessential coffee-growing region of Matagalpa. For the next trip, I wanted to focus on finding areas touched by barite, where the best coffees in the country are harvested: Nueva Segovia, located in the north of the country.

Thanks to Alejandra Selva, a Nicaraguan friend, we ended up tasting at the Beneficio de las Segovias laboratory, run by Luis Alberto Balladarez. At the time, I didn't realize how I'd been treated or the opportunities I'd have to learn about flavor development. We tasted coffees from different producers, mainly hybrid varieties (Marsellesa, H3, etc.), which were being planted as a solution to the problems of coffee rust (a fungus that attacks the plant's foliar system, leaving the plant leafless and causing its death). In 2008, the rust plague spread to high altitudes, where such a proliferation had never been experienced before. We were surprised that Luis Alberto didn't rely on these varieties on his farms, but rather on plant nutrition combined with preventative fungicide applications, like many other producers with whom we would later collaborate.

To speak of Luis Alberto Balladarez is to speak of a specialty coffee legend. Dissatisfied in his early years working side by side with his family, he broke away to create Beneficio de Las Segovias. With farms in Dipilto, Mozonte, and Jalapa, we decided to focus our project on Mozonte, where the profiles develop more juicily and with greater depth on the palate. We also found mature varieties that would provide us with a perfect starting point: red and yellow Catuaí, Caturra, Maracaturra, Pacamara, Java, and SL28. All on the same farm, "coffeeporn" for us.

The first improvements we found were in the drying process. We saw that shade-drying resulted in more complex, juicier, and more interesting flavors. The following harvest, we spent four days conducting controlled fermentation tests on washed and honey, as well as developing fine naturals that didn't develop too much of a ferment note (jams or hard wines), seeking more fruit and clean tones. After all this development, we realized we shared the same vision: meticulousness in coffee improvement and meticulousness in coffee tasting yield extraordinary results.

To continue with the Experience Subscriptions, we couldn't find a better option than the Esperanza SL28 batch from producer Luis Alberto Balladarez . What makes it so special? Its variety typically grows and thrives in African countries, so for a batch from Nicaragua, it's a rarity.

Our trips to this origin have always focused on Mozonte, where the profiles develop more juicily and with greater depth on the palate. The result is this unique batch with notes of blueberries, grapes, and kiwi that you can enjoy in the June subscription.