San Andrés

San Andrés comes from the mountains of Jinotega in northern Nicaragua, between 1,150 and 1,200 meters above sea level. The farm is located within an agroforestry system in a protected cloud forest of approximately 18 hectares, certified by Rainforest Alliance, which serves as a habitat for migratory birds and wildlife — anteaters, sloths, and howler monkeys live alongside the coffee plants. Nicaragua is not among the most renowned origins in specialty coffee, and this lot comes with a significant milestone: this is the first time Finca San Andrés has entered into a direct export relationship.

Behind this lot is the Gutiérrez family, whose history with coffee began in 1912, when Andrés Gutiérrez Bucardo planted the first coffee trees in the highlands of Jinotega. His son Gonzalo consolidated the farm’s structure and organized a network of local producers, but he died at age 42, leaving his wife Estella in charge of nine children and the farm. It was the third generation, María Victoria Gutiérrez, who founded Estella Legacy Coffee to bring the family farms San Andrés, Las Cuchillas, and Santa Rosa together under one organization. Today, the family spans four generations and nine households, all still connected to coffee. The day-to-day management of San Andrés is led by Carlos Rojas, a 42-year-old agronomist who started as a farmworker at a neighboring farm, gradually took on management responsibilities, and completed his agronomy degree without leaving the fields. A team of around 35 people works on the farm year-round, rising to nearly 200 during harvest, when many families arrive with their children — the farm provides them with lodging and childcare during this period.

This Java lot is processed using the washed method. After the cherries are hand-picked at peak ripeness, the coffee is depulped and fermented for approximately 12 hours before being washed. It then goes to a certified mill, where it is sun-dried and mechanically finished, maintaining traceability at every stage of the process. The Java variety, selected after the 2012–2013 coffee leaf rust crisis forced the farm to rethink its varietal selection, stands out for its complexity in the cup and its well-defined floral and fruity character, although it requires more careful management and has lower yields than traditional varieties.

In the cup, San Andrés offers a floral, fruity, and highly expressive profile. Hazelnut opens with a smooth, comforting roasted base that defines the coffee’s character from the first sip. Rooibos adds a warm, spicy, and slightly sweet nuance that brings depth and an uncommon aromatic dimension, while mandarin adds fresh, bright citrus acidity that lends vibrancy and balance. Hibiscus rounds out the profile with an intense, elegant floral note that lends a lasting finish and an aromatic freshness characteristic of the Java variety. With medium body and medium acidity, it makes for a floral, bright, and highly expressive cup.

With a score of 85 and an omni roast, San Andrés adapts naturally to both filter and espresso: with filter, the rooibos and hibiscus unfold fully, and the profile becomes more delicate and complex; under pressure, the hazelnut and mandarin come to the fore, and the cup becomes denser and sweeter. A coffee for those seeking cups with floral character, citrus fruit, and an origin backed by more than a century of history.

San Andrés is an expression of Nicaraguan coffee at its most honest and personal: four generations of a family that has cared for the same land since 1912, a team committed to every detail of the process, and a variety that, on these cloud-forest slopes, produces a floral, bright cup full of character.