Nicaraguan Coffee Beans: Regions and Flavour

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Nicaraguan coffee beans are known for their smooth, approachable character: a creamy body, mild acidity and notes of milk chocolate, nuts and light fruit. Here you will find Café du Jour's own single-origin Nicaragua, a few espresso and caffè crema blends, and green beans for roasting at home. It works as well in an espresso as in filter coffee.

What makes Nicaraguan coffee special?

Most of Nicaragua's coffee grows in the northern highlands, in regions such as Jinotega, Matagalpa and Nueva Segovia. The result is coffee beans with a mild acidity, natural sweetness and a full, creamy finish. That makes Nicaraguan coffee easy to drink every day, and a good choice if you like a balanced cup without sharp acidity.

Important coffee regions in Nicaragua

Overview of Nicaraguan coffee regions with flavour profiles and altitude/climate
Region	Flavour profile	Altitude & climate
Matagalpa	Chocolate, caramel and a hint of spiciness	High altitude, tropical climate
Jinotega	Sweet and fruity, apple and stone fruit	Up to 1,500 m, cool and misty
Nueva Segovia	Complex and floral, sometimes wine-like	Mountainous, near the Honduras border
Madriz	Mild and balanced, nutty aftertaste	Lower altitude, warm and sunny

Varieties and processing

Nicaragua grows mostly Arabica coffee beans. Well-known varieties include Bourbon (sweet and round), Caturra (fresh and lightly fruity) and Catuaí (balanced and creamy). Nicaragua is also known for Maragogype, a variety with unusually large beans.

Most coffee is washed: the fruit is removed before the beans dry, which gives a clean, clear cup. Some farms also use honey or natural processing, where part or all of the fruit stays on the bean while it dries. That adds sweetness and fruit.

What you will find here

Nicaragua 100% Arabica - Fresh Coffee Beans: our own single origin, roasted by Café du Jour. It is also one of the seven coffees in the Single Origins pack (7 x 250 g).
A few blends are listed here as well: Kimbo Espresso Bar Aroma Gold, Kimbo Espresso Bar Top Flavour, the Julius Meinl Espresso Premium Collection, Tchibo Barista Caffè Crema and Bregman's Blend El Jefe. A blend combines beans from more than one origin; the product page tells you what goes into each one.
Nicaragua Arabica SHG: green, unroasted beans in 1 kg for roasting at home. SHG stands for Strictly High Grown, a grade for coffee grown at higher altitude. See also our unroasted coffee beans.

How to brew Nicaragua coffee beans

Thanks to their creamy body and mild acidity, Nicaraguan beans are versatile. In filter coffee you mainly taste the fresh fruit notes, while espresso brings out the chocolate and nutty side. Their gentle character also works well in cappuccino and latte macchiato, where the creaminess pairs well with milk.

A French press gives a full, rounded cup. For something cold in summer, try cold brew: the coffee becomes soft and sweet.