Montesol (Catuai), Nicaragua

About this coffee We return to Finca Montesol for another harvest. Located high on Monte Dominico in Jinotega, Nicaragua, close to Lake Apanás, Montesol has belonged to the Rosales Mejía family since 1998. Since then, Don Jaime and Doña Ana have developed the estate around three principles: precision in farm management, social and environmental responsibility, and increasing control over every stage that influences coffee quality. The estate covers 149 hectares, 112 of which are dedicated to coffee production. The remaining land has been protected since 2000 to preserve the surrounding flora and fauna. That attention continues after harvest. Cherry selection follows strict ripeness standards, while Montesol maintains direct control from wet milling through pre-drying and drying. Even its pre-drying greenhouse is built using bamboo grown on the estate itself. But Montesol is also a project built around people. The estate employs 65 permanent workers, provides housing, and welcomes between 250 and 350 seasonal workers during harvest. Some members of the team have been working alongside the family for more than twenty years. After working with Montesol last season, this year we wanted to understand the estate in greater depth. We begin with this washed Catuai, alongside other expressions of Marsellesa, Parainema and, once again, Pacamara. In the cup This Catuai combines a familiar sweetness with a much more vibrant fruit expression. Chocolate provides structure and depth from the beginning, while tropical fruit opens the cup into something juicier and more expressive. Mandarin brings freshness and defined citrus acidity, balanced by the softer sweetness of ripe pear. A clean and balanced cup that is easy to understand, while carrying enough fruit and complexity to remain interesting as it cools. Why we selected it Returning to the same farm allows us to do something we particularly value: move beyond an individual lot and begin to understand the place behind it. This harvest, we will work with different varieties from Montesol to explore how Catuai, Marsellesa, Parainema and Pacamara respond to the same environment and the same approach to farming. This Catuai is the starting point. Sweet and approachable, but with enough clarity and expression to show why we wanted to return to Montesol.