NICARAGUA, Erwin Miersich, Los Placeres, Yasica Sur, Matagalpa

Producer: Erwin Miersich & family. 

Growing altitude: 1200m above sea level.

Botanical variety: Ethiosar.

Process: Washed.

Tasting notes: Caramel, nougat, chestnut, pear, apricot, prune, hibiscus flavours.

Roast date: 6 November, 2024

Fincas Miersich is a collection of farms namely Limoncillo, Las Delicias, San Jose, Los Placeres, La Huella, Mama Mina, Cerro Azul, La Escondida, Los Altos, Suspiro and Milagros. 

This network of farms, owned and managed by one of the most hard working and dedicated coffee families in Nicaragua, was once taken away from them during the political turmoil of the 1980’s. The Miersich farms were seized by the government and they were forced to leave their home and seek sustainable careers elsewhere, leading them to North America. 

When the opportunity arose, they returned back to Nicaragua and took hold of their land and never looked back. They take pride in managing a sustainable coffee operation, focusing on the environment by decreasing water pollution, soil erosion, waste, water usage and overall workers wellbeing. 

The family, consisting of Doc. Miersich, Erwin, Steve and Erwin Jr., have all been looking at new ways to improve and experiment with their coffee varieties and processing methods. They have undertaken anaerobic processing, cold fermentation and also planted new coffee varieties such as Ethiosar, Javanica, Yellow Pacamara and Geisha.     

Apart from coffee production, the family is also committed to the welfare of their workers, which at times can number up to 300 people. They provide free schooling from the age of 5 to 10yrs, alongside free day care for infants.

Coffee production in Nicaragua has been an important part of its history and economy. It is one of the country's principal products and it is believed that approximately 40,000 families rely on coffee as their livelihood.