Brazil Fazenda do Cruzeiro Anaerobic

This coffee comes from producer Ivan Junqueira Ribeiro, owner of Fazenda Cruzeiro, a farm in Brazil's Campo das Vertentes region. The farm was established in 1923 and spans a total of 1,021 hectares, of which 381 are planted with Red Catuai, Yellow Bourbon, Mundo Novo, Topázio, Arara, and Rubi.

The cherries of this remarkable coffee are picked ripe, using both mechanical and manual harvesting techniques. After harvesting,  the cherries are moved to a cement patio, where the drying process begins.

Each coffee bean that comes out of this farm carries the soul and the hard work of the coffee grower and each cup of coffee is an expression of its unique terroir.

 

The first coffee plants were reportedly brought in the relatively early 18th century, spreading from the northern state of Pará in 1727 all the way down to Rio de Janerio within 50 years. Brazil is one of the two biggest producers of coffee on yearly basis, together with Columbia.

Campo das Vertentes is located in the heart of Minas Gerais state being the largest coffee producing area in Brazil nowadays. The region earned its name, meaning literally “watershed fields,” due to its location between two important water basins in Brazil. Because of the fertile soils and the abundance of water, agriculture arrived early in the region following the first settlers who came in search of precious
metals. The arabica coffee plant adapted perfectly to this area and production can be traced back to 1860.More recently, the rich coffee tradition of Campo das Vertentes, as well as the unique landscape and microclimate of the region, are being recognized by a geographical indication. Minas Gerais may be nowadays the largest coffee producing area in Brazil, but it all started in the seventeenth century because of the discovery of the gold and diamond mines. This motivated the arrival of the
first pioneers and settlers, which in turn created demand for food products. Agricultural areas started to develop around the mining villages to supply those staple items.Due to the mountainous terrain and precarious roads at that time, most of the transport was undertaken by convoys of horses and mules led by men known as “tropeiros”. The difficulty of access in the early days helped to shape a unique culture and is still very present in the identity of Mineiros (inhabitants of Minas Gerais) and the traditions of this Brazilian State. Those ancient trails created by the “tropeiros” connecting the mining areas up to the coast still exist to this day and are part of a tourist route called “Estrada Real”, very popular with Brazilians.Thus, coffee probably reached the Campo das Vertentes region by the means of the tropeiro convoys in the eighteenth century, but was firstly planted for home consumption. Since the coffee plant adapted really well to the local terroir, production increased fast and flourished by the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth century, also propelled by a growing international demand for the beans.The rich history of coffee production and the singular identity of Campo das Vertentes is now preserved under a geographical indication recognized by the Brazilian government comprising 17 municipalities.

This natural process offering is anaerobic fermentation inoculated with yeast - a natural process which goes through several steps.
After collection, the cherries are sorted and placed in a clean plastic barrel in increments, with the yeast solution sprayed over each new layer. The barrel is then closed with an airtight valve to ferment for at least 48 hours. After this period, the cherries are rinsed in clean water to interrupt the fermentation process completely. They are then moved to raised beds, spread evenly, and rotated daily throughout the drying phase. It is important to note this coffee was intentionally processed utilizing anaerobic fermentation. This process has a distinct impact on the outcome of the flavor profile - an increase in the intensity of fruit and acidity and a slight increase in the body.

{"type":"root","children":[{"type":"paragraph","children":[{"type":"text","value":"Brazilian microlots are a relatively new entry into the world of specialty coffee, compared to larger-scale farming operations that are common in the country. Microlots are typically either a small selection of specialized coffee kept separate from the total volume of coffee a single estate produces, or they are sourced from the many smallholder producers (10–30 hectares). Microlots are the highest level of quality.

Natural mutation of Mundo Novo discovered in Brazil.\n"}]}]}