Martha and Ana Maria Albir - Finca Bethania

This Nicaraguan beauty comes from sisters Martha and Ana Maria Albir and their farm Finca Bethania in the Nueva Segovia region. The Albir family’s connection to this land dates back to the 1930s, when their great-grandfather first began cultivating coffee in the region. After the Nicaraguan revolution forced the family to emigrate, much of their land was seized. Decades later, Ana and Martha returned to rebuild and today, the 60 Hectare farm is Rainforest Alliance certified and actively protects native forests, conserves water, and nurtures the surrounding ecosystem.

The coffee is processed at Cafetos de Segovia, a dry mill built in 2015 by a local producer family to give farmers more value and control over quality. It’s now run by Ana and Martha and supports 47 other producers in the region. The mill includes a greenhouse built in 2020 to house experimental lots and delicate varietals.

This particular lot is a Maracaturra variety, a cross between Maragogype and Caturra, a high-yielding variety from Brazil. It was the result of a naturally occurring cross between the 2 varieties in the 1800s. Now, it is mainly found in Brazil, El Salvador and Nicaragua. The trees are short with dense foliage that protects it from wind damage. They are high-yielding and can be planted closely together.

For this washed micro-lot, cherry is selectively handpicked and pulped at the farm’s wet mill. The mucilage covered seeds are then fermented in tanks for 36 hours before being washed in clean water and laid on raised beds to sundry. The parchment is raked frequently to ensure even drying which takes approximately 17 days.