Central America has always been a spot in the planed where some of the best coffee varieties come to life, and even gigantic worldwide brands such as Starbucks have launched their specialty roasted with beans from Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua. And yeah, Trader Joe’s couldn’t avoid falling into the temptation of discovering world-class arabica coffee and launched a new bag of small batch coffee, brought directly from Nicaragua.
Trader Joe’s Nicaragua La Bastilla Estate Small Lot Coffee is a brew that transcends ordinary coffee experiences. From the first sip, you’ll be transported to the roastery, traveling thousands of miles with your imagination, leaving no doubt that you’re savoring a cup of exceptional quality. This medium roast unleashes a symphony of flavors, as sweet layers of milk chocolate intertwine with a subtle nuttiness and hints of blueberry, cocoa, pineapple and cherry, igniting a lively dance of flavors that’ll tantalize your tastebuds, reminiscent of the Toro Huaco, a traditional Nicaraguan dance. This amazing coffee got a 93-point rating (out of 100) in the Coffee Review Magazine in 2022.
Nicaragua La Bastilla Estate Small Lot Coffee: Not a regular hot beverage but an experience itself
Trader Joe’s Nicaragua La Bastilla Estate Small Lot Coffee is more than just a sensational taste sensation. It is a limited batch, sourced from small farms where microlot coffee flourishes, making it a truly special and exclusive offering. And, you know what? You’re also helping those prospering Nicaraguan coffee farmers that give jobs to neighbors and help their local economies thrive.
The estate employs up to 500 temporary workers during harvest season, creating a sustainable livelihood for the local community. Moreover, the farm’s educational initiatives, such as the La Bastilla Agricultural Boarding School, offer students invaluable on-the-job training, ensuring a brighter future for the next generation. How great and cool is that?!
Preparing your Trader Joe’s coffee to be the perfect cup
The discussion about the best way to prepare a cup of coffee is eternal, and everyone has their personal preferences. However, baristas and experts in the field recommend using two main methods. The most used in Central America is the “chorreador”, which you can translate as “pourer”, or something like that. Well, doesn’t matter, let’s call it chorreador, so we can explain what that is. It is a device in which hot water is filtered through ground coffee beans held in a cloth filter installed on a wooden stand, and it drips into a container.
If you don’t have that device, then you can use a French press, which is the other method experts recommend. You should know that this analog apparatus is, if you’re a coffee lover. If you don’t have these two, well, you can use the classic electric coffee maker, which is not necessarily going to extract the best aromas and flavors from every particle of ground coffee, as the other pouring methods do, but it will get the job done.