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About Brazil Ipanema Premier Cru Black C26 Natural

Arrived May 2023, newest crop. We bought several coffees from Ipanema Coffees this year. Ipanema Coffees has several price bands that are broken into three "editions" with the best price-to-value equation offered in the Black Edition which includes this offering. They also produce very small, specialized microlots, one of which we are currently offering from Ipanema's most expensive Blue Edition. We have but a small amount of that coffee remaining.

As noted, this is one of several boutique lots "designed" for particular flavor leanings. Ipanema Coffee produces coffee cherry at their Fazenda Rio Verde and they take an innovative approach to produce high score coffees. The farm encompasses 900 total hectares of preservation areas in the Mantiqueira Mountains. They are developing a new model of harvesting, processing and drying in fresh constructed, one-of-a-kind milling facility offering several profiles with diverse flavor notes. There are 34 separate parcels with different altitudes and sun faces, selective hand-picking harvest models and five preparation methods combined with several drying possibilities for tailor-made solutions.

Ipanema Coffee is a unique company, where innovation, long-term relationships and consistent delivery have been part of their DNA since they were established in 1969, in Minas Gerais, Brazil.

This Dry Anaerobic Fermented Yellow Catuai presents a profile the farm calls "Red Fruits" for this particular lot. We found the fruit skewed more toward sweet orange citrus.

Dry Anaerobic Fermentation

When the coffee cherries are fully ripe they are harvested and then spend a period of some days to reduce their moisture - this is the first drying phase of the process. The partially dry cherries are then placed into tanks, either plastic or stainless, and completely sealed so they have no air. This is the anaerobic part where the cherries, in the airtight container, in essence stew in some of their own juices, though the amount of juice has been reduced by the previous step. After spending, in this case, 40 hours in the tank, the fermented cherries are removed and spread out on raised beds to dry in the sun and air for the next 15 days, being turned frequently each day. The amount of fruitiness is quite mild in this selection because the cherries were allowed to dry before going into the tank. Had they gone directly into the anaerobic environment after harvesting they would be sitting in their own juices much more and be more intensely fruit flavored.

Lot: C26
Variety: Yellow Catuai
Plot Altitude: 1,111 up to 1,160 meters
Harvest Method: Selective hand picking
Harvest Date: Late June - October 2022
Preparation Method: Dry Anaerobic Fermented
Pre-drying process : Conventional patio
Drying Process: Raised beds for 361 hours
Fermentation Process: 40 hours
Storage: Double barrier big bag
Region: Serra da Mantiqueira - Fazenda Rio Verde
Sun Facing: Northwest
Total area: 15.14 hectare

Rainforest Alliance Certified.

The Rio Verde wet and dry mills are one of the most advanced in the world

Fazenda Rio Verde is a real fauna and flora sanctuary with its 773 hectares covered by natural forests, 52 catalogued water springs and a complex biome that represents the beauty of the Mantiqueira Mountains highlands.

Cup Characteristics: Sweet with flavors of almond, Graham cracker. Some savory orange peel notes. Lingering cocoa textured finish. Moderate fruit intensity from the dry fermentation process, explained below. Smooth, tame and very clean on the palate

Roasting Notes: Complete the roast before the second crack gets too much under way and extend development time between first and second crack to preserve sweet fruity notes.