Photo of a bag of La Esperanza Photo of a bag of La Esperanza

Nicaragua La Esperanza

Maria Esther Ponce

Maria’s caturra is back again this year! With the characteristics of a classic coffee from this region: sweet with notes of cherry, dried cranberry, and sweet almonds.

Sorry, sold out!

Variety: Caturra
Process: washed

Flavour: cherry, dried cranberry, almond

Body:   Acidity:

Roast: Omni (filter + espresso)

Producer: Maria Esther Ponce

Farm / Cooperative: La Esperanza

Region: Dipilto, Nicaragua

Altitude: 1400m above sea level

Maria Esther’s Nicaraguan Caturra is back again this year! It has all the characteristics of a classic coffee from this region: sweet with notes of cherry, dried cranberry, and sweet almonds. A real all-day-drinker coffee.

Maria has been directly involved in coffee production for 6 years. Her passion stems from her parents and grandparents, who have worked at Finca La Esperanza for over 80 years. This farm, which name means ‘the hope’, was the family’s chosen medium towards a fair and decent living.

Maria Esther and her siblings all moved to live aboard. Every time they returned for a visit, they would get involved in this or that during harvest and process, gradually gaining experience. Eventually, she “took the baton” and now is in charge of the business, with the support of her husband Rodrigo, who is in charge of the financials and logistics, and Elmer, a trusted man who directs the agronomic management.

Maria Esther and her coffee beans.

In Finca La Esperanza, they focus on the varieties that are resistant while producing a high-quality cup, ensuring the profitability and sustainability of the enterprise. Some of the varieties grown to date are Catimor, Java, Catuai, Maragogype and Caturra (the one that makes up this coffee lot).

One of the things Maria Esther enjoys the most is the aroma—it brings back memories of childhood—and knowing that the product has been grown under her leadership, at La Esperanza.

Maria Esther around her farm’s coffee trees.

Washed process coffee

Explanation here.

Caturra variety

Caturra is a natural mutation of Bourbon that was originally discovered in Brazil in 1937, considered to be the first naturally occurring mutation ever discovered.

100% Caturra coffee beans, provided by Caravela and roasted by us on Gadigal land / Sydney.

Green coffee certified Rainforest Alliance, UTZ, PECA, and Fairtrade.

Country grade: Unknown ?

Bag: ABA Certified home compostable
Label: Recyclable
Valve (on bags larger than 250g): General waste
Coffee ordered online is shipped in a recyclable cardboard box

Brewing this coffee

We recommend brewing this coffee 15–49 days post-roast. If pre-ground, brew as soon as possible. Our advice on storing coffee.

1:3
dose:yield
ratio

To brew on espresso, we recommend using 20g of beans (dose) to get 60g of espresso out (yield), during 24-28 seconds.

g dose
g yield
View the how to brew espresso (single origin) guide.

1:16.7
beans:water
ratio

To brew in infusion/fed brewers (V60, Chemex) use a ratio of 1:16.7 ratio of beans:water.

g beans
g water
View full recipes and videos in our brewguides

1:14.3
beans:water
ratio

To brew in immersion brewers (plunger, AeroPress, Kalita, batch brewer) we recommend using a 1:14.3 ratio of beans:water

g beans
g water
View full recipes and videos in our brewguides

1:12
beans:water
ratio

To brew as cold brew we recommend using a 1:12 ratio of beans:water

g beans
g water
View full recipes and videos in our brewguides

Maria Esther’s Nicaraguan Caturra is back again this year! It has all the characteristics of a classic coffee from this region: sweet with notes of cherry, dried cranberry, and sweet almonds. A real all-day-drinker coffee.

Maria has been directly involved in coffee production for 6 years. Her passion stems from her parents and grandparents, who have worked at Finca La Esperanza for over 80 years. This farm, which name means ‘the hope’, was the family’s chosen medium towards a fair and decent living.

Maria Esther and her siblings all moved to live aboard. Every time they returned for a visit, they would get involved in this or that during harvest and process, gradually gaining experience. Eventually, she “took the baton” and now is in charge of the business, with the support of her husband Rodrigo, who is in charge of the financials and logistics, and Elmer, a trusted man who directs the agronomic management.

Maria Esther and her coffee beans.

In Finca La Esperanza, they focus on the varieties that are resistant while producing a high-quality cup, ensuring the profitability and sustainability of the enterprise. Some of the varieties grown to date are Catimor, Java, Catuai, Maragogype and Caturra (the one that makes up this coffee lot).

One of the things Maria Esther enjoys the most is the aroma—it brings back memories of childhood—and knowing that the product has been grown under her leadership, at La Esperanza.

Maria Esther around her farm’s coffee trees.

Region

Dipilto

Altitude

1400m above sea level

Producer

Maria Esther Ponce

Farm/Coop

La Esperanza

Harvested

January 2023

Green coffee certification

Rainforest Alliance, UTZ, PECA, and Fairtrade

Roast style

Omni (filter + espresso)

Map showing location of Nicaragua La Esperanza Maria Esther Ponce

FAQs

Do you ship Australia-wide?

Yes! We deliver freshly roasted coffee beans anywhere in Australia, with fast dispatch and eco-friendly packaging.

Do you ship internationally?

We ship beans to select international countries.

Can I buy pre-ground coffee?

Yes. You’ll see our pre-ground options during checkout.

We offer pre-ground options for different methods:
- Ground for domestic espresso (home espresso machine)
- Ground for stovetop (Bialetti)
- Ground for AeroPress / Kalita / Cold Brew / Moccamaster / Plunger / French Press (immersion style)
- Ground for V60/Chemex (pour over style)

How is your coffee ethically sourced?

We source our coffee from small producers through responsible importing companies. 95% of our green coffee beans are supplied by Caravela Coffee, Cafe Imports, and Melbourne Coffee Merchants (certified B Corporations) plus Condesa Co Lab and more.

We transparently share all the information about each coffee lot (territory of origin, producer, variety, processing method, importer, quality grade) on each coffee page. This includes blend components for our espresso blends.

We take quality sourcing very seriously, so being fully transparent about our coffee is a way to honour everyone’s efforts along the production and gain the trust of ethical-minded consumers.

Learn more about our coffee and business philosophy.

Do you roast dark or light?

We roast our single origins using omni medium/light profiles. (This means you can use it for pour over and espresso brewing, no need to buy different bean bags with specific roast styles.)

We roast our espresso blends using darker profiles.

What is “specialty coffee”?

The definitions and references to specialty coffee are changing.

Historically, and as most people think of it these days, specialty coffee is Arabica beans that score over 80 in the old Specialty Coffee Association point scale. Today, the SCA refers to specialty coffee as “a coffee or coffee experience that is recognized for its distinctive attributes, resulting in a higher value within the marketplace.”

Can I subscribe?

Absolutely. Our coffee subscription lets you get your favourite beans (for filter and espresso, black or milk drinks) delivered regularly for free and with no lock-in periods.

With love, from Sample

We’re an independent coffee roasting company based in Gadigal land / Sydney, Australia

We’ve been sharing exceptional coffees since 2011, with a particular focus on rotating single origins, ethical sourcing, and homebrewing accessibility.

Our daily work is driven by quality, consistency, transparency, and fun. This approach has slowly and organically connected us with a community of homebrewers and professionals who value how we do business and, above all, love delicious coffee beyond the hype.

Learn about us

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