EL
Arbol
SINGLE FARM
〰️
SINGLE FARM 〰️
Producer Claudia Lovo and Tim Willems
Farm name El Arbol
Region Ocotal, Dipilto
Altitude 1110 - 1300 masl
Processing CMN
Species Arabica
Variety(ies) Lot A: Parainema
Lot B: Pacas
Lot C: Catimor
Harvest November - February
EL ARBOL FARm
Behind the El Arbrol farm, we find an incredible woman named Claudia Lovo. She bought the farm back in 2016 in association with Sasa Sestic.
Today, Claudia and her partner Tim live on the farm and manage the Bridazul project at the same time, making El Arbol a place of knowledge exchanges and a meeting point for many producers. At the farm they grow several varieties of coffee, and other intercrops, such as ginger, fruits and vegetables that are used to feed visitors and the 20 employees working there during the harvest.
El Arbol means “the Tree”. This name pays homage to a majestic tree that sits in the middle of the farm and refers to the practices that govern this place. Here, we leave room for trees, we limit and strongly regulate the use of chemical inputs (for example, only blue and green “band” products are authorized). Everything is done “as organically” as possible. Humans, some farm animals and a dog shelter share this mini ecosystem.
El Arbol is the place of experimentation. It is where the carbonic maceration has been developed originally by Claudia and Sasa. Thanks to the Bridazul project created in 2019 by Claudia and Tim, El Arbol is a place for sharing and exchanging knowledge. The cold room allowing carbonic fermentation is made available so that other producers can have access to it.
THE PROCESS
El Arbol uses the emblematic Carbonic Maceration developed at Finca El Arbol.
Commonly used in wine, the carbonic maceration allows for coffee to develop more fruity notes and enhance body and complexity
First, the cherries ferment in sealed barils placed in a temperature-controlled room (we want to maintain cool temperatures to avoid the development of unwanted bacteria).
The maceration produces Co2 and drives oxygen out of the baril. This environment allows the fermentation to take place inside bean. We talk about an inside-out fermentation. (As opposed to fermentation which takes place from the outside in when we add yeast or other external products to the coffee such as fruit, for example.)
This step extends over several days until a gelatinous and rich texture is obtained.
immediately out of the barils, the cherries are first placed on suspended beds inside the cold rooms to avoid the development further uncontrolled fermentation.
Once the cherries reach a lower humidity level, they finish drying on African beds outside.
BRIDAZUL
Bridazul is a holistic project born in 2019 and created by Claudia Lovo and Tim Willems. It aims to support producers that desire to turn to the specialty market while taking action to reduce climate change impacts on the coffee production.
Claudia is Nicaraguan, and owner of El Arbol, the farm where the carbonic maceration was developed in the early 2010s. Tim is Belgian, worked in roasteries and coffee shops in Europe before falling in love with Nicaragua, and not only… Together, they founded Bridazul to share know-how across producers and give access to the necessary infrastructure to ferment and process specialty coffees. Bridazul is also a place where future of coffee in Nicaragua is often discussed.
Indeed, Nicaragua is one of the most affected countries by climate change, and coffee crops are among the ones that suffer the most. In a second plan, the project will aims to create a group of producers who transition towards complementary crops, therefore producing and depending less on coffee alone. This will also favor more diversity and incentive a more balanced way of doing agriculture.
Bridazul brings together around fifty producers with small and medium-sized farms (less than 10 hectares on average).
PACAS
Aromas: Nutella, Jam, strawberry
Flavours: cherry, cacao, violet, hazelnut, brandy
good long After-taste
PARAINEMA
Aroma: wine, cola, praline
Flavours: dark chocolate, prune, lime, wine, passion fruit
CUP PROFILE
CATIMOR
Aromas: Cherry in Brandy, floral
Flavours: Sparcling, tartric acid, wine, lime, funky, raw cacao, prune, violet, fresh vanilla
