Brazil | São Silvestre, Natural, Carbon maceration
Brazil | São Silvestre, Natural, Carbon maceration
Brazil | São Silvestre, Natural, Carbon maceration

Brazil | São Silvestre, Natural, Carbon maceration

Regular price €19,50
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-264 in stock

Weight
Processing
Natural, aerobic fermentation
Harvest
July 2022
Altitude
1200m
Variety
Yellow Catuai
Scoring
88.5

Country: Brazil

Region: Minas Gerais

Farm: São Silvestre

Owners: Andrade family

 

Taste Notes:  Hazelnut, marmalade, creme brulee, cloudberry

For this lot, carbon maceration occurs in a closed and controlled stainless steel bioreactor for 120h. This approach helps to intensify the natural sweetness of Yellow Catuai and results in a cup filled with notes of dried fruits and a boozy aftertaste.

 

Extended story

The Andrade family's carbon-macerated Yellow Catuai is a true testament to the pinnacle of Brazilian coffee excellence. Hailing from the illustrious heritage of Minas Gerais, renowned for its rich coffee traditions, the Andrade family has elevated their craft to new heights through meticulous cultivation and innovative processing methods. In their pursuit of perfection, they have prioritized quality over quantity, resulting in coffees that embody the essence of distinction.

What sets the carbon-macerated Yellow Catuai apart is its audacious ability to challenge preconceived notions of what Brazilian coffee should taste like. It effortlessly stands out on the Brazilian coffee table, defying expectations and captivating the palates of coffee enthusiasts worldwide. Its unmatched quality and unmistakable flavors make it a worthy contender in the realm of top-quality coffees.


Rocket Bean Golden range philosophy perfectly aligns with the defining characteristics of this exceptional lot. Just like the Andrade family's coffee, the Rocket Bean Golden range exemplifies a commitment to breaking free from conventional norms and striving for excellence. These extraordinary beans embody the philosophy of daring to be different and venturing into uncharted territories of flavor.

Brazil & Minas Gerais

Minas Gerais —  in Portuguese means ‘’General Mines’’, named after the Gold Rush in the 18th century and is the largest coffee-growing state in Brazil, accounting for nearly 50% of the total coffee grown. The cultivation of coffee beans helped the country expand into the powerhouse to where it is today and was, to a great extent, responsible for the development of the southeastern region of the Brazil, the wealthiest part of the country today.


For more than 100 years, Brazil is still the largest coffee producer in the world, yet around the country, growers are beginning to focus more on quality than quantity. One of the perfect examples is our partner — the Andrade family.

Owners

The Andrade family history began in 1901, with their ancestors at Capim Branco Farm, in Carmo do Paranaíba, High Cerrado, state of Minas Gerais. To produce high-quality coffees, the new generation of the Andrade family established their farms in this region during the 70s. This region has an altitude between 1,100 and 1,200 meters, which provides ideal conditions for growing coffee due to its perfect balance of wet and dry seasons.

In the early 90s, with the need for expansion of coffee production, quality, and volume improvement, the brothers acquired the São Silvestre farm in Serra do Salitre, state of Minas Gerais. The farm produces high-quality coffees because of its climate and altitude between 1,100 and 1,200 meters.

The natural environment of the region, combined with the correct management of crops, crop planning, and post-harvest with selection criteria of cherries and natural drying, results in an excellent quality, award-winning beans -  appreciated worldwide.

The volcanic soils are perfect for growing Yellow Icatu, Yellow Catuaí, and Red Catuai varietals, which thrive here and account for the most of the yield. That is where one of the best natural coffee beans of Brazil are produced.

Variety

This lot contains beans from the Yellow Catuai variety. When coffee cherries are ripe, they become in a saturated yellow colour.

In the Tupi-Guarani (Brazilian native tribe) word ''catuai'' means ''very good'' This variety is a hybrid between Mundo Novo and Yellow Caturra, and the coffee trees are very compact – they can be closely spaced, easily applied with pest or disease treatment, and has a high-yielding potential.


Lot

For micro-lots like this one,it  first starts with choosing the corresponding coffee variety for the planned processing method. Due to the high level of natural sugar in the coffee cherries, farmers have chosen the Yellow Catuai variety. Then, at the beginning of July 2022, when coffee cherries have reached their peak of ripeness, a highly advanced machine harvests them from coffee trees. After the harvesting, coffee cherries go through a two-step sorting process where floaters and unevenly ripened cherries are separated. 

The ripe cherries then are put inside a stainless steel bioreactor which is made together by Sao Silvestre farm and local brazilian university. Cheries ferment in it in an anaerobic environment in which natural organisms turn fruit glucose into alcohol. Temperature in this bioreactor is controlled to sustain 25 degrees celsius. 

Cherries are removed from the bioreactor after 120 hours of fermentation which  has potentialized the coffee sensorial profile resulting in sweet, alcoholic like notes.

Then coffee cherries are taken out from the bioreactor and dried on raised beds in a special greenhouse, so the weather is not affecting the drying process. Then pulp is removed and used as organic material for soil nutrition.Beans are again dried and afterwards stored for resting to later on be packed in bags for further transportation .



 

Brazil, Natural/Carbon maceration, Yellow Catuai (NEW from August 2023)