Condega

The middle register of Nicaragua: toasted nut, dry cedar, cracked wheat and a restrained warm-spice note, with none of Esteli's iron bite and less of Jalapa's sugar. It is the leaf that makes a blend coherent rather than the leaf anyone notices. Combustion is excellent - the leaf is thin enough to burn evenly but strong enough to hold structure - which is why so much of the crop ends up as binder.

Seco and viso from Condega are the most sought grades and are used to build the mid-palate. Its ligero is comparatively light and is often blended alongside Esteli ligero to soften the latter's edges.

Sandy loam with a moderate volcanic component and excellent drainage, sitting between Esteli's black richness and Jalapa's lighter iron soils in both composition and effect.

Slightly hotter and drier than Esteli, sheltered along the Rio Estell valley, with a shorter and more reliable dry-down at harvest.

Condega came up alongside Esteli in the post-embargo expansion and has always been valued more by blenders than by marketers, since binder and seco rarely appear on a band.

Stable and quietly expanding, with steady demand from the growing Esteli factory base.