de Specialitate Corretto, Nicaragua Maragogype SHG, Washed, 100% Arabica, 86 puncte SCA

Nicaragua Maragogype SHG, Washed Specialty Coffee | Detailed Information and Description

🇳🇮 Origin: Central America, Nicaragua

🌱 Variety: Maragogype

⛰️ Altitude: 1500 m

💧 Processing: Washed

🔥 Roast profile: Medium Light

☕ Tasting notes: Cocoa, caramel, fruit

🍒 Acidity: Medium-low | Intensity: Medium-low

🫘 Body: Full, round

📏 Bean size: Screen 18

🏆 SCA score: 86 points

⚙️ Recommended for: Espresso and brew methods (V60, Chemex, pour-over) ⏳ Optimal degassing: 7–14 days after the roast date

📦 Nicaragua specialty coffee available in 200g, 400g, 500g, and 1kg bags

Freshly Roasted Whole Bean Coffee from the “Land of Lakes and Volcanoes”

Nicaragua is the largest country in Central America by area, but it’s not the first place that comes to mind when you think about specialty coffee production. And yet, Nicaragua produces lots that consistently surprise at cuppings, something specialty roasters working with Central American origins know well.

Locally, the country is known as the land of lakes and volcanoes. Volcanic soil, elevations above 1,000 m in the central region, and a tropical climate with a well-defined dry season create ideal conditions for growing coffee. This lot comes from an altitude of 1,500 m—high enough for the beans to mature slowly and develop complex sugars.

Nicaraguan coffee producers are largely organized into cooperatives that give them access to the specialty market, agronomic support, and better prices than they could obtain individually. Many farmers process coffee right on the farm, and the beans are dried on patios in the sun—a traditional, simple method that works well when the climate allows.

Maragogype: “Elephant Bean” and Why Variety Matters

Maragogype is the largest Arabica coffee variety you’ll ever see. The bean is visibly larger than anything else in the range—Screen 18 for this lot, though Maragogype can reach Screen 19–20. Hence the name “Elephant Bean.”

The variety was discovered around 1870 near the town of Maragogype in the state of Bahia, Brazil. It’s a natural mutation of Typica—not a hybrid created in a lab, but a genetic “accident.” The bean is large and porous, with a more open cellular structure than other varieties. This directly affects how it responds to roasting and what you get in the cup.

Maragogype is rare in the specialty market. Its productivity is low—the tree yields less than a Caturra or Catuai—and that’s why farmers grow it in small quantities. When you find a good lot, it’s worth trying, because it may not be available again with the next harvest.

An interesting detail: Maragogype is one of the two parent varieties of Pacamara—the hybrid that dominates Cup of Excellence competitions in El Salvador. If Pacamara is the star, Maragogype is half the reason it exists.

Washed Processing: How It Shows Up in the Cup

This Nicaragua lot is washed. After harvesting, the pulp is mechanically removed, the beans undergo controlled fermentation, are washed with fresh water, and are dried on patios in the sun to 11–12% moisture.

For a Maragogype, washed processing does something specific: it highlights the bean’s body and texture without adding the extra sweetness you get from a Natural. Maragogype’s large, porous bean also absorbs and releases water differently during fermentation, creating a cup profile you notice right away, with clear notes.

Tasting Profile: Cocoa, Caramel, and Fruit with a Full Body

When you open the bag, the first impression is cocoa, without the bitterness you get from a dark roast. Roasted by Corretto to a medium-light profile, this Nicaragua coffee retains its sweetness.

The body is what surprises you. In theory, a washed Maragogype roasted light-medium shouldn’t have a full body. But this variety’s large, porous bean gives it a velvety, rounded texture and a weight you won’t find in other varieties processed the same way. It’s like the difference between a light-bodied wine and a full-bodied one—both can be good, but they feel different in your mouth.

Caramel comes through next—a warm sweetness that’s most noticeable midway through the sip. Fruit rounds out the profile with a light, subtle acidity that doesn’t dominate but brings the cup to life. The acidity is medium-low—if you’ve tried Kenya or Ethiopia and found the acidity surprising, Nicaragua Maragogype is at the opposite end of the spectrum: gentle, approachable, and without sharpness.

With an SCA score of 86 points, this lot confirms that Maragogype is more than a visual curiosity—it’s a variety with real potential in the cup, especially when grown at an altitude of 1,500 m and processed to a high standard.

What Makes Maragogype Different When Roasting and Brewing

Maragogype’s large, porous bean behaves differently in the roaster than a dense, high-altitude bean (such as SL-28 from Kenya or Bourbon from Burundi). Its porosity allows heat to transfer more quickly—the bean roasts faster, and the margin between a properly roasted coffee and an over-roasted one is much smaller.

That’s why we chose a medium-light profile: developed enough to bring out sweetness and body, but without going past the point where it loses its delicacy. With a darker roast, the cocoa would become bitter and the body would feel heavier—the exact opposite of what makes this variety interesting.

For brewing, the bean’s large size means the grind may need a slight adjustment. Maragogype should be ground a little coarser than a standard bean roasted to the same level, because its total surface area is greater.

How to Brew Nicaragua Maragogype at Home

The full body and low acidity make this lot versatile. It works well as espresso (where the full body produces a dense shot) and as brew coffee (where its velvety texture comes through best).

Espresso Recipe

Dose: 18g coffee (fine grind, slightly coarser than usual)

Yield: 36g–40g in the cup

Extraction time: 25–30 seconds

The shot is dense, with thick, stable crema—the Maragogype bean produces more oils, which directly benefits the crema. Cocoa takes the lead, with caramel in the aftertaste. In a cappuccino, the coffee’s full body balances the milk without getting lost, making for a creamy, substantial cup.

☕ Corretto tip: If the shot runs too quickly (under 22 seconds), grind one setting finer. Maragogype needs an adjustment compared with the setting you use for other coffees in the range—the large bean grinds differently.

Brew Recipe (V60 / Chemex / Pour-Over)

Dose: 15g coffee for 250ml water

Grind: Medium, slightly coarser (a little coarser than coarse salt)

Water temperature: 92–95°C

Total time: 3:00–3:30 minutes

With pour-over, the velvety texture comes through best. The cocoa becomes more transparent, the fruit opens up a little, and the caramel comes through more clearly in the aftertaste. It’s a coffee you can enjoy without milk—the full body makes up for the lack of milk in a way that low-bodied coffees can’t.

☕ Corretto tip: Let the beans degas for at least 7–10 days after the roast date (printed on the bag) before grinding. With an SCA score of 86 points, the difference in clarity is noticeable.

Choose the Right Grind