Which coffee producing regions shaped Nicaragua's 2024 COE winner?

The 2024 Nicaragua Cup of Excellence concluded with a natural Geisha from Los Alpes estate in the Nueva Segovia region taking the championship at 91.1 points, defending its title. The result puts Nicaragua's coffee producing regions, and Nueva Segovia in particular, back in the spotlight alongside better-known Central American origins.

Nicaragua sits in the middle of Central America, bordered by Honduras and Costa Rica, with coastlines on the Pacific and the Caribbean, 24 volcanoes, and forest covering 43 percent of its land. The central highlands average about 18°C with 1,500 to 2,500 millimeters of annual rain. Los Alpes grows Caturra, Catuai, Bourbon, and Geisha under owner Olman Balladares.

The 2024 Nicaragua Cup of Excellence (COE) has concluded, and the natural Geisha from Los Alpes estate in the Nueva Segovia region won the championship with 91.1 points, successfully defending its title. This article will guide you through Nicaragua's coffee-growing environment and the distribution of its main producing regions, and take a closer look at this champion estate that has topped the COE for two consecutive years. From the two farms under estate owner Olman Balladares, to the planting layout of varieties such as Caturra, Catuai, Bourbon, and Geisha, and to the coffee research and quality control team behind them, we explore the origins of their outstanding results. At the same time, Front Street Coffee will also recommend related products for you.

On the American continent, many countries have developed coffee industries thanks to their advantageous geographical location within the coffee-growing belt, with Nicaragua, Panama, Costa Rica, and Honduras among the representatives. Nicaragua may be slightly less well-known internationally than other producing countries, but its natural endowments for coffee cultivation are no weaker than those of any of its Central American neighbors.

Nicaragua

Nicaragua is located in the central part of Central America, bordering Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south, and has coastlines on both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, making it a country with both land and sea.

The country is known as the "Land of Lakes and Volcanoes," with 24 volcanoes and numerous lakes, rivers, and saltwater lakes distributed across its territory, and forest coverage reaching as high as 43% of the national land area.

In terms of topography, the central and northern parts of Nicaragua are highlands, the east is a low-lying coastal plain with many jungles and swamps, and the west is a coastal lowland, with volcanoes and lakes concentrated densely on its eastern side. The plains have a tropical maritime climate, with high temperatures and abundant rain; the western coastal lowlands receive noticeably less precipitation than the east, with distinct dry and wet seasons, giving them a tropical savanna climate. The central highlands have an average annual temperature of about 18°C, with annual precipitation between 1,500 and 2,500 millimeters, and the rainy season runs from May to December each year.

Coffee Producing Regions

Nicaragua's coffee cultivation is mainly distributed across three producing regions: Jinotega, Matagalpa, and Nueva Segovias, with the harvest season concentrated from December to March of the following year.

Nueva Segovias: This region is located on Nicaragua's northern border, with terrain dominated by hills, and an average altitude between 1,100 and 1,650 meters, making it one of the smallest producing regions in the country. However, in recent years, it has gradually built a reputation as the country's best coffee-producing area, performing especially prominently in the Cup of Excellence (COE) competition. In the 2024 Nicaragua COE winners list, most of the estates come from this producing region.

Los Alpes Estate

The champion of the 2024 Nicaragua Cup of Excellence (COE) was won by Los Alpes Estate, located at an altitude of 1,600 meters in the Nueva Segovia region, with its competition batch being a natural Geisha that scored 91.1 points. This is already the second consecutive year that the estate has topped this competition—the champion of the 2023 Nicaragua COE was also won by it.

Los Alpes Estate is currently led by Olman Balladares. In addition to this estate, Olman also runs Inversiones Valladares Acevedo S.A. and Buenos Aires Farm, the latter of which also achieved a good result of 7th place in this year's Nicaragua COE. In terms of varieties, Los Alpes Estate mainly cultivates Caturra, Catuai, Bourbon, and Geisha; Buenos Aires Farm, on the other hand, tends to plant newer varieties such as Maracaturra and Parainema.

Behind these achievements is a team dedicated to coffee research and quality control. They continuously improve in areas such as agronomy, production, and processing to ensure the cultivation and output quality of the coffee beans. It is precisely this kind of commitment that has enabled these two estates to continually achieve excellent results at the Nicaragua COE.

Front Street Coffee also continues to follow the results of the Nicaragua COE and recommends related products from this producing region and the champion estate to coffee lovers. Those interested can keep an eye on Front Street's bean list updates.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.