Hot on the heels of Rancho Sao Benedito comes our latest single origin offering from Brazil, Fazenda JR. We’ve already fallen hard for this elegant, well-balanced coffee, and we’re pretty sure you will too.
Fazenda JR is another of the superb coffees we sourced on our trip to Matiqueira de Minas last year. Located just outside the town of Carmo de Minas, JR farm is a typical example of the small-scale coffee producing operations found in this part of Brazil. Coffee has been grown on this family owned farm for more than a century, and is today operated by brothers Jose and Pedro Reis.
The brothers’ focus is not only on producing the highest quality coffee possible, but also on social and environmental protection. Of the farm’s 199 hectares, only 30 are given over to coffee production, and great care is taken to protect springs and natural ecosystems. As well as being a member of the local COCARIVE cooperative, JR farm voluntarily participates in the Certifica Minas program, which requires farms to meet the highest possible standards in areas ranging from environmental stewardship to worker rights. This provides a level of transparency that demonstrates the Reis brothers’ commitment to running an equitable and sustainable business.
All coffee at JR farm is selectively hand-harvested, washed on site and dried on cement patios, with a mechanical dryer used if necessary. Final sorting and bagging for export takes place at the COCARIVE facility in Carmo de Minas. Our Fazenda JR lot is a pulped natural yellow catuai, grown at 1200 meters above sea level. This is a medium-bodied, clean, and easy-drinking coffee, with aromas of hazelnut and cocoa nib. In the cup, dried mango, orange zest, and milk chocolate are supported by roasted hazelnut and cocoa.