I first visited Nicaragua in 2002 and discovered the Segovia region produces some of the sweetest coffee in Central America. Despite considerable political and developmental challenges, Segovia has delivered us large, dense and flavorful coffees for over 15 years. One of my favorite things about visiting Nicaragua coffee regions is the people — they are resilient and positive despite having faced a very conflict-ridden past. As coffee farmers, they are early adopters and very good at producing high quality organic and fair-trade beans. The expansive patios in sun-drenched valleys allow the sweetness of the coffee beans to come through.
Visiting coffee farms in remote highlands of Guatemala means you will be surrounded by the vibrant colors of traditional Mayan dress. The fabrics of these tribal are of bright purples, blues and reds and one of my favorite things about visiting this beautiful Mayan culture. It’s almost as if the vibrancy of the fabrics influences the spirited and lively qualities of the coffee from this region. And at such high altitude, the volcanic soil imparts a smoky spiciness to the coffee unique to the region.
I first visited the carefully manicured farms of Roberto Orantes in 2020. This spectacular coffee farm curves around a volcanic lagoon called La Laguna, for which the coffee is named. Meticulous washing, drying and resting protocols are the reason we have brought in this small farm coffee for many years.
Each coffee growing country and region yields a unique coffee profile. Colombia is no different. For instance, the Caficauca cooperative is in the Southern Cauca region and at the meeting point of three spectacular mountain ranges of the Colombian Andes. This rich volcanic soil brings rich buttery beans. The people at Caficauca in Popayon carefully coordinate this important origin for us at Cravens Coffee. Also, near this region is AMUCC, the Association of Women Coffee Farmers. This small group in the Cauca region comes together to produce a high standard of coffee they set for themselves. A caramely, rich bean.
There is a great spirit in the IKA (Junus Family) grading room of Sumatra — a wonderful juxtaposition of good-hearted chatter and dedicated coffee grading. Eventually, I came to recognize the good-humored banter in their native language (unknown to me!) was at my expense. Hey, if they aren’t teasing you, they aren’t like you, right?! The IKA export business has been in the Junus family for decades, and today is run by a father and daughter team. While Mr Junus speaks not a word of English, his daughter is fluent in country where it is uncommon.
