Nicaragua CoE #15 La Picona

Producer Martha Lucia Albir Sotomayor
Farm La Picona
Municipality Dipilto
Department Nueva Segovia
Region Northern Highlands

Sun Exposure Cloud Forest
Farm Size 9ha; 6ha of coffee
Altitude 1,250 masl
Latitude 13.791269
Longitude -86.571446

Variety Maracaturra
Process Natural
Fermentation 48hr Anaerobic
Drying Raised Beds; 24hr full sun, 3-4 weeks shaded

Harvest Year 2025

Flavor Maple Syrup, Honey, Berries, Dried Fruit, Tamarind
Descriptors Creamy, Balanced, Smooth

Certifications Cup of Excellence winner 2025

About this coffee Finca La Picona sits in the mountains of Dipilto, Nueva Segovia, a beautiful location marked by volcanic, phosphorus-rich soils, cool breezes, shade trees, and high elevation. These conditions slow cherry maturation and create sweet, dense coffees with remarkable clarity and complexity. The farm is owned by Martha Lucía Albir Sotomayor and spans nine-hectares in total, with six of those dedicated to coffee, where it is grown under a canopy of Inga, native hardwoods, búcaro, bananas, and fruit trees.

Implementing low-impact agriculture, and placing an emphasis on biodiversity and healthy soils, Martha has continued to refine the quality of coffee produced at La Picona, exemplified by placing this coffee in the top winning lots of this year’s Cup of Excellence program.

During the months of January through March, cherries begin to ripen and harvesting begins at La Picona. These Maracaturra cherries are first sorted, and then spend the next 18 hours resting before being sealed in herematic barrels for the remainder of their fermentation. Once complete, cherries are dried on raised beds, and then finally delivered to the dry mill, Cafetos de Segovia, for final processing and sorting before their submission to this year's Cup of Excellence, in which it claimed 15th in the Natural Category!