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The Coffee Atlas
Nicaragua Dipilto
Dipilto is a high Nueva Segovia growing zone in northern Nicaragua. Sourced altitude, variety notes and two Coffee Review lots scoring 93 and 94.
Flavor profile
avg. of 2 published reviewsScale: 1-10, Coffee Review / SCA-classic-form convention. Averaged from 2 independently published, dated Coffee Review scores of Dipilto lots: Estelí Nicaragua (Davila Kafe, August 2020, 94 points, Maracaturra, honey process) and Nicaragua San Jose CM Natural (Old World Coffee Roasters, June 2025, 93 points, Caturra, Catuai and Catimor, carbonic maceration). Both are non-washed, experimental or honey/natural-style lots, so this average describes what Dipilto can do at the top end of the specialty market, not a typical washed Dipilto cup. Both lots scored high, so the average is optimistic by construction. Individual lots vary widely by farm, variety and process; this is a small-N, lot-level average, not a category-wide statistical sample.
What it tastes like
Dipilto sits in Nueva Segovia, the northern department that Perfect Daily Grind describes as having a microclimate well suited to coffee and producers working above 1,500 meters, with a cup profile that can differ completely from Jinotega’s. At farm level the numbers are broad: one Dipilto-mountains farm lists 1,200 to 1,700 meters, so treat any single altitude figure for the zone as indicative.
What stands out in the published reviews is how far these lots lean from the usual washed Central American template. A 94-point Davila Kafe Maracaturra, honey processed, reads as intensely fruit- and spice-toned: lychee, hibiscus flowers, cocoa nib, lemon verbena and a hint of cumin, with a syrupy body. A 93-point carbonic maceration lot from Las Manos, Dipilto, grown from Caturra, Catuai and Catimor, shows red plum, nutmeg, pomelo and cocoa nib with a plump, viscous mouthfeel.
Both are experimental or non-washed lots, so they show the ceiling, not the floor. Expect a washed Dipilto from the same hills to be cleaner and quieter, and shop with the processing method on the label in mind.
How to brew it
Method fit for this origin · editorial guidance from roaster convention
Filter brewing keeps the fruit and spice layering of honey and natural lots legible without burying it under body.
The syrupy body suits espresso, but the sweet-tart fruit can turn sharp if the shot is pushed too short.
Immersion emphasizes the plump mouthfeel, at the cost of some of the aromatic high notes.
⚠ Fit tiers are editorial guidance drawn from roaster convention; no industry standard scores brew fit, so we show tiers, never invented numbers. Reflects brew guidance commonly published by specialty roasters for fruit-forward processed Central American lots, not an SCA-defined standard.
Altitude & region
Growing elevation, meters above sea level · this entry vs comparison bands
Dipilto's range comes from one farm's lot page (Finca Buenos Aires, Dipilto mountains), so treat it as indicative, not a zone-wide measurement. Jinotega and Matagalpa reuse the ranges already published in this Atlas's own Nicaragua Jinotega and Nicaragua Matagalpa entries, shown for scale only.
Caffeine content
Caffeine by dry weight · each gold dot = 0.1%
Caffeine content tracks species, not origin, altitude, or processing: roughly 1.2% for Arabica versus roughly 2.2% for Robusta, close to double (see Sources & data). This entry is Arabica; no credible per-origin caffeine figure exists at a category level, so the comparison above is by species only, not a measurement of this specific lot.
Where to buy it
Transparency: some links on this site are affiliate links; if you buy through them we may earn a commission at no cost to you. Roasters are picked for genuine, current sourcing of this coffee, never for who pays us.
Washington, D.C. roaster built around Haitian and Nicaraguan coffees; its Dipilto Maracaturra earned the 94-point review above. Check the shop for current lots.
View lot→Reno, Nevada roaster behind the 93-point Las Manos, Dipilto carbonic maceration lot. Check the shop for current lots.
View lot→Lists a Nicaragua Dipilto single origin; check the product page for the current lot and roast.
View lot→Wide single-origin selection in one place; check roast dates, Dipilto or 100%-origin labeling, and seller reviews before buying.
View lot→Sources & data
- Coffee Review: Esteli Nicaragua, Davila Kafe (August 2020)94 points; Aroma 9, Flavor 9, Acidity/Structure 9, Body 9, Aftertaste 8; Dipilto Maracaturra, honey process (1 of 2 averaged)
- Coffee Review: Nicaragua San Jose CM Natural, Old World Coffee Roasters (June 2025)93 points; Aroma 9, Flavor 9, Acidity/Structure 8, Body 9, Aftertaste 8; Las Manos, Dipilto, carbonic maceration (2 of 2 averaged)
- The Way to Coffee: Nicaragua Finca Buenos Aires Maracaturra Natural (Almanegra Cafe)Single-farm altitude of 1,200-1,700 m in the Dipilto mountains, Nueva Segovia; Maracaturra as a Caturra x Maragogipe hybrid
- Perfect Daily Grind: A guide to coffee production in NicaraguaNueva Segovia producers report a microclimate suited to coffee and altitudes above 1,500 m; cup profile can differ from Jinotega
- Crozier et al.: Espresso coffees, caffeine and chlorogenic acid intake (Food & Function, 2012)Peer-reviewed (Univ. of Glasgow): states robusta coffee beans contain almost twice as much caffeine as arabica, by species (no percentage figures given in this paper)
- Development of a fast and simple method to identify pure Arabica coffee and blended coffee by Infrared Spectroscopy (J. Food Sci. Technol., 2021, PMC8292507)Peer-reviewed, open-access: Arabica beans usually present 1.0 to 1.5% caffeine and Robusta beans present 2.0 to 2.5%, source for this entry's 1.2% Arabica / 2.2% Robusta figures