NIKARAGUA Maria Eugenia Herrera – Washed

This is a coffee that’s perfect for a daily ritual. Forest berries bring freshness, cherries add ripe fruitiness, and maple syrup ties it all together with pleasant sweetness.

Although this is a classic washed process, a tremendous amount of work goes into its clarity. The cherries are sorted right on the farm, then taken to the Bridazul station, where they are thoroughly washed and dried. This precision brings out a clear flavor, pronounced sweetness, and beautifully defined acidity, without unnecessary compromises.

As much as we love talking about flavor, we think we love this coffee’s story even more. María Eugenia Herrera inherited the farm from her father in 1998, but after it was damaged by Hurricane Mitch, growing coffee no longer made economic sense. Years later, when she replanted the coffee trees, things didn’t improve much—the coffee sales didn’t even cover the costs of running the farm. Everything changed thanks to her collaboration with Claudia Lovo and Bridazul, who championed strong partnerships, fair compensation, and working together to improve quality.

The result? Today, La Huerta has a future again, and we can drink a coffee that proves a good partnership can achieve more than even the most complicated brewing recipe.

And one more thing… María is over 70 and most often gets to the farm by motorcycle. It’s hard to find a better reminder that determination has no expiration date.