Brazil Matas de Minas – Fazenda Riacho das Varas – Yellow Catuai Natural

Description

Low Stock, only 18 pounds left! 

Fazenda Riacho das Varas is found in Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Under the leadership of Ricardo Hirofumi Yoshimatsu, the farm continues the work that his parents started as coffee producers in 1975. The Matas de Minas region wasn’t recognized as suitable for coffee production back then, but through hard work and dedication the family proved that it was more than possible to succeed and grow coffee. Today, Ricardo farms with a mind toward constant improvement and sustainable production methods.

The farm sits between 1100 and 1200 meters above sea level. 120 of the 122 hectares of land are planted with Mundo Novo, Catuai, and Catucai coffees, yielding 5400 bags annually.

This lot of Yellow Catuai coffee underwent Natural processing. Catuai was developed by the Instituto Agronomico (IAC) of Sao Paulo State in Campinas, Brazil by crossing Mundo Novo and Caturra varieties. Catuai coffees are cultivated widely across Brazil, and are known for their high productivity potential.

Tasting Notes: A beautiful single-origin drinking Brazil. Clean, rich and balanced; this is a cup we are happy to drink all day long! Lighter roasts show a sweet edge, good floral acidity, a little natural-processed soft fruit tone that balances with classic Brazil nutty and dry-chocolate hints. Medium roasts drop some of the acidity but retain a hint of the fruity factor. The body gets thicker and those nutty and chocolaty tones take over the bulk of the cup. Darker roasts get a little edgy and smoky with more bakers chocolate and a lingering nuttiness. This cup shines at the light to medium roast level.

Roasting Notes:  Easy to roast, a little chaff heavy. Roasts just slightly two toned. If shooting for those wonderful light roasts, make sure everything is a little through first crack. A longer setup is not necessary, these beans present nicely even 12 hours later. After 4-5 days, loses a bit of floral/fruity factors but the cup will be richer and smoother.

Matas de Minas

The Matas de Minas coffee region is in the southeastern part of the Minas Gerais state, just over the border from Espirito Santo, with Alto Caparaó as its most recognized of the 63 municipalities that compose the region. With a distinct topography featuring rugged mountain terrains, a mild Brazilian Atlantic Forest climate, and large variations in elevation (between 600 and 1450 meters above sea level), Matas de Minas makes a perfect region for growing specialty coffees.

Because of its specific features, special care is taken in growing all the crops of the region. Coffee is harvested manually to select for only the most mature beans, the trees are planted with wider spacing to receive more sunlight, only treated water is used for washing and pulping the beans, and drying is done meticulously and carefully. The region’s family farms emphasize sustainability and the natural integration between people and land. Together, these factors favor the production of the highest quality coffees, full-bodied and with great nuances in both aroma and flavors.