Douglas Ponce, Nicaragua

Douglas Ponce, with his loving smile and passion for the land, is a sight to behold. When we visit, we stay on a neighbouring farm so we got to see Douglas over several days, both when the farm was quiet and late in the afternoon when workers climb the steep hills to deliver and weigh their bags of cherries.

The high mountains bring ideal coffee growing conditions here, but the terrain is far from easy. Witnessing the harvest firsthand, it’s easy to be awestruck by the steep slopes and the skill required to navigate them. Pickers carry heavy sacks of cherries up and down these slopes in blazing heat. It's a testament to their hard work that we can enjoy this incredible coffee.

It’s a humbling experience and one that puts the cost of coffee into perspective. Make no mistake, this is hard labour, but there is a good atmosphere and feeling of camaraderie when the bags are weighed. We had a good feeling this coffee would stand out by the healthy-looking cherry and the clean and tidy mill - these things are always a good sign. Low and behold, there was a gem on the cupping table - a sweet and delicious single variety lot - ‘red catuai’ is well renowned in this region and is known for its exceptional cup character.

We are looking forward to the release of Douglas' coffees later this year.