Nicaragua Puma Punku Especial

We weren’t expecting this one. Think of Puma Punku Especial as an Easter egg - one that’s only available in Huck cafes and our site!

Manuel Rosales is our righthand man in Nicaragua. He runs Puma Coffee, and is responsible for sourcing, drying, and processing all of Huck’s Nicaraguan coffee. He also has a small farm, Finca Puma Punku, and this year we’re featuring his coffee for the first time, as half of Amigos Mozonte.

Earlier this summer, we thought we were set on Huck’s Nicaragua offerings for the year - Amigos Mozonte, a Maracaturra lot from the Montenegro family, and coffees from the larger Puma Coffee network that we’ll feature in Blue Orchid, Sound & Vision, and Civitas.

Then Manuel delivered some great news. He had entered a small lot from Puma Punku into the Nicaraguan Cup of Excellence competition, and he won 3rd place in the washed category!

We love seeing our partners succeed, so we were stoked for Manuel. The guy deserves all the recognition he can get, and we were happy to see Manuel earn a very good price in the auction, courtesy Sarutahiko Coffee in Japan. But as far as Huck was concerned, our plan was to convince Manuel to sell us some of that coffee next year.

Then our Nicaraguan coffees showed up in the US, and Manuel told us to keep an eye out for a specially-marked bag amongst our Amigos Mozonte. Turns out Manuel had a little bit of coffee left over from his CoE lot, and had saved it for Huck!

Is this the CoE coffee? Not exactly. Manuel only had ⅔ of a bag left from the competition, so he blended it with a similar coffee from the farm, processed the same way, to make a full 152 pound bag. Honestly, we may have asked him to just keep the coffee separate for us, had we known, but hey, it was a surprise. And even though it might not be the exact CoE winner, it’s too good to not let it shine!

Puma Punku Especial is an especially-tasty version of the profile we love in washed Nicaraguan coffees. Deeply sweet and approachable, but with fig- and plum-like fruit that sets it on its own pedestal. Cheers to Manuel, and we’re excited to share a few roast batches from Puma Punku!

 *** For roasting schedule, shipping, receiving & additional information, please visit out Frequently Asked Questions . And, for a primer on coffee processing, check out our Processing Basics Guide. *** 

Photos: Manuel Rosales, then with some of the farmers in the Puma Coffee network - Alberto Ramos, Guadalupe Montenegro, Fredy Montenegro

The Nicaragua Puma Punku Especial, sourced from producer Manuel Rosales, represents a focused expression of Nicaraguan coffee production. Roasted by Huckleberry Roasters, this lot undergoes a washed process, a technique often utilized to highlight the inherent clarity and acidity of the bean. While washed coffees are frequently celebrated for their clean, vibrant profiles, this specific selection offers distinct notes of fig and plum.

To better understand how these characteristics fit into the broader spectrum of coffee profiles, one might consult the flavor wheel to identify the nuances of stone fruit and dried fruit descriptors. Furthermore, exploring different processing methods provides essential context for how the washed approach influences the final cup compared to other techniques. By examining the intersection of origin and preparation, enthusiasts can gain a deeper appreciation for the specific profile presented by this Nicaraguan offering.