Brazil Fazenda Rio Brilhante Natural

About Brazil Fazenda Rio Brilhante Natural

Arrived mid-June, new crop coffee in grainpro.

Rio Brilhante ("bright river") was bought by Inacio Urban in 1984, and has in subsequent years become one of the largest farms in Brazil, with over 1600 hectares dedicated to coffee production. Other crops grown on an additional 700 hectares of the farm include cotton, soy, corn, tomato and beans. Coffee production is focused on good cultivation practices; soil and coffee tree leaves are analysed every quarter, and adjustments made when necessary to ensure top output. Pruning trees to increase yield is regularly performed, and new, disease resistant varietals are introduced to the farm when available.

The farm supports a number of local social programs, the biggest of which is "Seeds of Change"; this initiative offers professional classes to farm employees and their families. They also support a local school, Escolinha Tia Edna, and several open air libraries though the Ponto do Livro project.

This offering is composed of several varietals, all common to Brazil. Besides Bourbon, this lot has Cataui Icatu, Topazio and Arara, all of which are hybrids known for their high yield, small stature plants and disease resistance. The coffee is a natural process (also known as dry process), where the skin and pulp of the coffee cherry is not removed prior to drying. This process takes a much longer time than washed processing, and varies depending on humidity, temperature and amount of sunlight. When the desired moisture content is achieved the dried cherries are milled down to the internal seed or bean. The sweet, fruity mucillage of the cherry penetrates the inner beans during this process, leaving a very noticeable fruitiness that can range from mild to extreme.

• Farmer: Inacio Carlos Urban
• Farm: Fazenda Rio Brilhante
• Town: Coromandel
• Region: Cerrado Miniero
• State: Minas Gerais
• Altitude: 1052 Meters above sea level
• Processing: Natural
• Varietal: Bourbon, Cataui Icatu, Topazio, Arara

Cup Characteristics: A very sweet, bright coffee with hints of lemon and clove. Nice fruit penetration and a striking citrusy character, but it possesses a delicate texture and a layered, complex taste. Very aromatic, with chocolaty body, a creamy mouthfeel, and a long, sweet finish. Sweet and well processed. An outstanding cup and excellent value.

Roasting Notes: We prefer to stop this coffee before the outset of second crack, in order to preserve citrus notes and brightness. To roast it too dark would mean that many of its subtleties would be lost, but be sure to have a first crack plus at least a full minute of development time and possibly first sounds of second crack.