Nicaragua La Bastilla Anaerobic Geisha SHG/EP 2024

Finca La Bastilla

Finca La Bastilla produces up to 150 micro-lots per year. The estate is made up of multiple micro-farms, each with their own microclimates. Additionally, the estate is the only specialty Arabica estate in Nicaragua to fully integrate all processes, from cherry to export, right on-site at the farm level. Delicate varieties like geisha are grown at higher elevations to take advantage of the colder temperatures.

The estate pays close attention to quality control and proactive agronomy practices, but also to the welfare of its permanent and seasonal workers. It’s important for Finca La Bastilla to maintain long term relationships with harvest laborers, and facilities like daycare and family dormitories go a long way to improving their quality of life.

What is Geisha coffee?

Geisha coffee beans are a variety under the Arabica species of coffee. It’s also one of the most expensive varieties of coffee in the world, valued for its distinct floral and tea-like flavor character. Geisha trees have low yields and can be difficult to cultivate which adds to their scarcity on the market.

Gesha coffee, as it was originally known, was collected from the Gesha region in Ethiopia and brought to Central America in 1953 when it was mislabeled, “Geisha”. Ever since its success at the “Best of Panama” auction, Geisha has been gaining in popularity and farmers are eager to cash in. Today, Gesha or Geisha coffee beans are cultivated at origins around the world, including Nicaragua.

Anaerobic Process Green Coffee

La Bastilla started experimenting with anaerobic coffee three years ago after purchasing four stainless steel tanks equipped with temperature control and valves to pull out mucilage samples. As microorganisms metabolize the sugars in the coffee cherries, oxygen is depleted from the tanks, and they enter an anaerobic state. The microorganisms produce distinct acids, like lactic acid, that influence the flavor profile of the coffee. This meticulous process requires monitoring the temperature and pH level of the tank. Mucilage samples are taken throughout the process and checked for quality and consistency.

The anaerobic fermentation process, in conjunction with careful quality sorting and stellar agronomy practices, can lead to a complex and desirable cup profile.

Unroasted Nicaragua Coffee Beans

Nicaragua pulses as the largest country in the heart of Central America. Here, coffee continues to surpass all expectations, despite the political unrest, natural disasters, and warfare that try to hold progress back. Since the mid-1850s, the government of Nicaragua has encouraged the establishment of coffee estates, and by the early 1990s, coffee plants had occupied more land than any other crop in the country.

Nicaragua's main challenge in the coming years is outbound migration of the population to the USA, climate change affecting weather patterns, and weakening initiative by smallholders to invest long term in their farms. Nevertheless, producers and larger estates like La Bastilla are working together with exporters, the government, and organizations like World Coffee Research to find sustainable solutions for the country’s coffee future.