Description
A lovely Brazil arrival. Smooth, clean and rich, these beans make an awesome single origin cup, or blend base. This is a Fine Cup (FC) and Strictly Soft (SS), the highest cup category in the Brazilian coffee grading. 15/16 refers to the size of the beans. Average/small sized, comparatively to the 17/18, which is strictly large beaned.
As the world’s largest coffee producer, Brazilian lots often come from larger estates that use highly mechanized processing strategies to manage larger volumes. The Mogiana region, split between the states of São Paulo and Minas Gerais, is the most renowned of three major Brazilian growing regions. This region has rolling hills and uneven terrain lending to farms that are small to medium in size.
This particular lot comes from Cooperativa Regional de Cafeicultores em Guaxupé (Cooxupé), which was established in 1937 and currently has 14,000 active members. Producers typically have farms that average 60 acres in size. Each producer cultivates and harvest their own cherries and places them on patios to dry to 15 percent moisture after which the coffee is moved to mechanical driers to precisely finish the drying to 11 percent moisture. Coffee is carefully stored until it is time for milling and export, which all takes place at the Cooxupé dry mill where traceability and quality control are carefully managed so each producer can be paid according to the quality of their coffee.
Tasting notes:
The aroma is very nutty and sweet. There was a surprising hint of smoke on the palate. Full bodied and low acidity – this is a traditional tasting Brazil – thick, creamy, nutty and semi-sweet. At the darker roasts a very sweet first taste, almost a little fruity, and then quickly turns darker-toned with a bakers chocolate and slightly toasted walnut flavor. Great blend base for espresso or adding body with darker tones although many will love it as an single origin drinker.
Roasting Notes:
A pretty versatile bean, although we wouldn’t recommend a light roast. Medium roast will be smoother and more neutral tasting. A darker roasted will bring out the smoky and chocolate notes that most will shoot for. This would be a great bean for blends.
Joseph Swain –
Haven’t tasted it yet but an odd roasting experience. .5 lb on the bemohr 1 lb setting as per usual, gave it a 1.5 minute pre-roast and run it all the way past the 18 minute mark with all the extra time. It either has the softest crack in the world or it didn’t crack???? The final result looks decent, a little uneven but looks full city+. We’ll see I guess.
Robert Hopkins –
Found these beans to have extraordinarily low moisture content. It has a nearly imperceptible first and second crack. Haven’t tasted the roast yet but I am suspect of quality.