this exceptional microlot is courtesy of 3 Brothers Coffee who work side by side with the farmers at origin & are deeply involved in the entire process of coffee production, from sourcing the best coffees to managing the logistics from remote areas in Brazil. we originally cupped it blind & didn’t pick it as a Brazilian, we knew straightaway we wanted to showcase this lot & the dedication to the process behind it. tasting like strawberry, peaches & caramel – we hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
origin sítio santa rita, serra do caparaó, brazil
producer jhone milanez lacerda
elevation 1250m above sea level
varietal red catuai
process slow natural
tastes like strawberry, peach & caramel
located in the surroundings of Parque Nacional do Caparaó, is santa rita estate. comprised of four small properties within a 70-hectare estate, around 45% of which is dedicated to growing coffee. since 1896, the farm has been owned & run by the Milanez Lacerda family.
for many years sítio santa rita had consistently produced high quality lots but soil & climate factors had begun to impose their limits in altitudes up to 1000m, making it almost impossible for them to naturally obtain batches with a score above 85.
until one particular batch did manage to achieve an outlier high score, most likely as a result of some fermentation. from there, Jhone Lacerda began experimenting with the controlled fermentation process, hoping to replicate this success in future batches.
years of testing & analysis lead to Jhone’s further development of the ‘slow natural’ process, showing incredible results. experimental lots, like this one, produced new & unique flavours for Brazilian coffees & have allowed them, and other Brazilian coffee producers, to tap into markets that were previously out of reach.
if you’re interested in learning more about controlled fermentation in natural processed coffee, an article written by Jhone Lacerda, provided by 3 Brothers Australia, is a really great read.
