You’d be hard-pressed to find a pair of coffees less similar than last month’s Aged Sumatra and this month’s Royal Momotombo. Where one evokes a heady darkness, the other is all light and brightness of flavour; where one is quirky and niche, the other is in every sense a classic cup of coffee.

Nicaraguan coffees are known for a balanced, mild cup: they’re easy-to-love coffees you could drink all day. We think Royal Momotombo delivers on the Nicaraguan coffee promise – and then some.

Our coffee experts’ personal verdicts

Jim, 35 years in the coffee trade 
“If last month’s coffee was akin to Port, then this zingy, elegant coffee is a Hawkes Bay Sauvignon Blanc! It’s refreshing and beautifully balanced.”

Geoff, 35 years in the coffee trade 
“Nicaraguans love their coffee so much that even their toddlers start drinking diluted coffee as soon as they can walk! In the morning Nicaraguans traditionally drink coffee with hot milk and in the afternoon it’s “cafe cito”, served black with sugar – strong and sweet. I’d probably pair this delicate, zesty coffee with the seafood dishes from the Caribbean coast rather than the chilli hot, corn, beans and meat dishes from the north.”

Tasting notes

Royal Momotombo is an all-purpose coffee that’s as good in a latte as it is filter style. The flavour is rich, with subtle notes of nougat sweetness and apricot. There’s a pronounced acidity and a fruitiness to this coffee that makes it very, very drinkable.

This is a medium-bodied coffee but it doesn’t skimp on flavour. See if you can smell Brazil nut and vanilla in the dry aroma, and then a glorious hit of honeysuckle in the wet aroma. It’s sweet and floral, a perfect summertime scent.