OUR OFFERINGS - FAZENDA DO SERTãO, BRAZIL

Region: Carmo de Minas
Altitude: 1200 m
Varietals: Bourbon
Harvest: June - August

Characteristics

Flavor: Caramel, sweet orange, fudge
Acidity: Balanced, dried mango
Finish Smooth, buttery, dutch chocolate

Tasting Notes

A pulped natural from the Carmo de Minas growing region, this coffee lends itself to an atypical complexity that wins the hearts of washed coffee lovers. The body is smooth and silky as notes of caramel and toffee wash across the palate. The acidity is subtle but worth noting with its Clementine orange juiciness and dried mango fruit tang. Leading into the buttery finish are nuances of cardamom and honey as the end note of Dutch chocolate plays pleasantly on the tongue.

Sarah's Notes

Doug Zell, Kyle Glanville and Jacques Carneiro Pereira at Fazenda do Sertão.

Stumbling upon this coffee in the QC lab was a delightful surprise. Originally the result of an endeavor by our Espresso Research and Development Manager, Kyle Glanville, this coffee was intended for espresso experimentation. Tasting this coffee on the cupping table, however, revealed something more. The depth and complexity stunned me and I immediately wanted to brew an entire French press of it. Accompanying the smooth silky body I had come to expect from the Carmo de Minas growing region was this twinkling juicy acidity that caught my attention. The acidity was so harmoniously intertwined with the sweetness of caramel and silkiness of the body that it deconstructed any misconceptions I had in regards to pulped natural coffees. The cup was brimming with nuance and grace, personality and shine – something that I use to describe washed coffees.

So naturally, we chose to keep this coffee separate and extol it for the enchanting qualities we so love.

Its farm of origin, Fazenda do Sertão, is no stranger to great coffee. Taking 14th in the most recent Brazil Cup of Excellence competition, it holds more than 100 years of coffee history. All of the coffee harvested on the 800 hectare farm is processed using the pulped natural method. After careful picking, the coffee is washed and pulped, then fermented without water. From there, it is spread on terraces to dry.

Along with the creation of quality coffee through husbandry of the land, Fazenda do Sertão provides housing, drinking water and electricity free of cost for the thirty-four families employed. Coming from a country that has a long history of providing the world with mass-produced lower quality coffees, it is a delight to find farms like that of Fazenda do Sertão who uphold their passion for great coffee through the work they do.

As I stated earlier, it came to me as a surprise to find this coffee so stunning on the table – and honestly speaking, much of it having to do with Brazil’s reputation in the Specialty Coffee industry. Nevertheless, with competitions like that of the Cup of Excellence as well as a general shift towards quality coffee, Brazil has begun to alter its reputation from being a commercial coffee producer to being a provider of truly unique and delicious coffee.

Most recently, Intelligentsia has taken a great interest in Brazilian coffees. Typically full in body, lower in acidity and vital in sweetness these coffees work phenomenally in a portafilter. Fortuitously, with this new interest, we’ve also had delightful discoveries into places and people in Brazil who are passionate about Specialty Coffee. On a personal level, it’s been a deconstruction of erroneous opinions I had in regards to Brazil’s place in Specialty Coffee. On a company level, we’ve gained invaluable taste experiences. Fazenda do Sertão is one of them.

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