Nicaraguan Maragogype

2 June 2010

I am having trouble saying this. Luckily I am a writer and not a speaker so as far as you are concerned I say it perfectly. It is pronounced
“Mara-go-hee-pey”. Yeah, we can have a lot of linguistic fun with that … but let’s not.

Nicaraguan Maragogype is a single origin Central American coffee. If you are roasting your own, roast it in smaller batches for a longer time, and only to a medium roast. And that right there should make you raise your eyebrows…remember… I don’t care for medium roast coffees.

Usually. I have had one or two that I loved. This is in that category. It is a light coffee, and I really think this one is better in the French press no matter what. Something about the drip maker steals the nuances from this more than any other coffee I have had. If you use drip you are likely to find that this is insipid and boring, and you will think I have lost my mind…

Which is probably partly true.

But in the press the cup had a light, rich body and perfect spring-like flavor. Honeysuckle, strawberry, and green tea make it a lighter brew than I am used to but really incredible. The aroma is rich and floral, almost heady and exotic. You can’t tell in the picture but the initial press has close to an 1/8th of an inch of crema on top. The finish is mild and faintly milk chocolate. It is a sweet cup, and would be fantastic with light desserts, non-spicy oriental foods, fruits, and things like chicken with mango salsa… think exotic things; vanilla, orchids, tropical fruit….

I picked mine up from Target. Yeah, I know.. hardly the place to get coffee. But… I have not had the time to shop online.. and I barely get to a grocery store these days.

And, honestly? I know that some of you don’t have the time or the money to always buy unique coffee online . I hope it helps to know the ones you can get locally.

images:marye audet