Nicaragua: Fila Quemada Natural, Cup of Excellence #4, Nueva Segovia
NOVEMBER'S FIRST WEEKEND DROP!
This is a Cup of Excellence competition lot. There is no restock, no second truck, and no waiting list. When these 49 pounds are gone, this coffee is gone for good. If it's on your holiday roasting list (and you should!), don't wait.
Fila Quemada took 4th place in the Natural & Honey category of the 2026 Nicaragua Cup of Excellence, scoring 88.81 points. The entire competition lot was only about 460 lbs., sold at the international CoE auction, and we landed just 49 lbs. of it for our first November Weekend Drop.
The farm sits high in the mountains of San Fernando, Nueva Segovia, between 1,475 and 1,620 meters, near the Honduran border. Rony José Herrera Ortez is a third-generation coffee farmer, and his family established Fila Quemada in 2007. 2026 was Rony's first time entering a natural-process lot in Cup of Excellence. He picked only the ripest Red and Yellow Catuai cherries and watched fermentation temperatures closely while the coffee dried in the fruit. The result placed in the top five of the country on his first try.
Cupping Notes: Big, jammy Concord grape sweetness and juicy lychee over a base of dark chocolate, with a long, fruit-forward finish. A rich, dessert-like natural that makes a standout holiday roast.
Roasting Notes: We roasted a full pound to City+ on our MCR-500. First crack came at 5:56 and we dropped at 7:24, about 1:28 of development. Keep it in the light-to-medium range to hold onto the grape and lychee. Take it a little further, to Full City, if you'd rather have more chocolate.
- Producer: Rony José Herrera Ortez
- Farm: Fila Quemada
- Region: San Fernando, Nueva Segovia, Nicaragua
- Altitude: 1,475 to 1,620 masl
- Variety: Red and Yellow Catuai
- Process: Natural
- Award: #4, Natural & Honey, 2026 Nicaragua Cup of Excellence (88.81)
- Available: 49 lb total, while supplies last
Only 49 lbs. available. This is your shot. If this coffee sounds like a winner to you, grab some before it's gone!