New crop Brazil is here! Our latest single origin offering was produced by our friend Sergio Dias on his farm, Finca Canaan, situated in the Mantiqueira de Minas micro-region of Southeastern Brazil.
The Mantiqueira de Minas region has been home to the Cocarive cooperative of coffee farmers since 1961. Cocarive comprises a close knit community of 700 farmers who have rejected industrial scale, low grade coffee production in favor of focusing on developing smaller lots of high quality coffee for export to speciality markets in the US, Europe, and Asia.
In 2001, the cooperative developed a sophisticated sorting and warehouse facility which ensures traceability while providing high levels of quality control. The system allows farmers to maintain individual ownership of their small lots by processing and bagging their own coffee, before bringing it to the warehouse for final sorting and bagging for export. There is a true community spirit in the Mantiqueira de Minas region, with the farmers all pooling their knowledge and expertise; hence the Cocarive motto, “Working together to produce the best coffees”.
Our relationship with Sergio and his cousin, Pedro, of nearby Finca do Condado, has been ongoing for several years. We visit on an annual basis, and our feedback has contributed to continued improvements in picking and sorting, resulting in visibly higher quality coffee. This Canaan lot is 100% natural Yellow Catuai, grown at around 1100 meters above sea level. A medium bodied coffee, with a texture reminiscent of black tea with milk, you can expect orange zest and lemon acidity, supported by complex layers of hazelnut truffle and toasted marshmallow.