This is one of the best Brazilian coffees we've ever had in the Roastery. Sweet marzipan notes with a smooth creamy mouthfeel with red cherry finish. Amazing as a brewed coffee.
The Flanzer family began farming in the Serra do Cabral (in the Chapada de Minas at the north of Minas Gerais) in the 1970s, when Henrique Flanzer – father of Marcelo & Roberto – bought land to engage in forestry projects. For many years, Ecoagricola was almost purely run for forestry. However, in 2000, Marcelo and Roberto (who had taken over management of the farm) began planning for the next 30 years, at which point they decided to diversify. They chose coffee for the great fit with the region: altitude, climate, water & terrain were perfect for coffee production. We are glad they did! They planted their first coffee nursery in 2006 and their very first coffee harvest was in 2009. Even today, one of the most interesting facts about Ecoagricola is that there is no other company producing coffee in the Serra do Cabral. The brothers, like their father, are true pioneers.
The brothers figured out that pivot irrigation was the way forward, taking into consideration water availability and terrain. Pivot irrigation (known variously as ‘waterwheel’ or ‘circle’ irrigation) is a method of crop irrigation where equipment rotates around a central pivot and crops are watered with sprinklers. The sprinklers will irrigate a circular area around the pivot point, often creating a circular pattern in crops when viewed from above. Center pivot irrigation typically uses less water compared to many surface irrigation and furrow irrigation techniques, which reduces the expenditure of and conserves water.
In many ways, sustainability and ethics are intrinsic to Ecoagricola’s origins. Many decades before sustainable production came into “fashion”, the family had already preserved vast areas within their land. Hundreds of hectares remain almost untouched. In fact, these concepts of preservation are built into the company’s very name: "Eco" refers to "ecological" and “Agrícola" means "agriculture". According to Marcelo and Roberto, the very purpose of their agricultural business is to generate funding for ecological preservation. They’ve been incredibly successful and have, as of 2017, been re-certified by Rainforest Alliance with a grade of 97.7 out of 100.
Special care is taken with Pulped Natural lots, such as this 100% Red Catuaí lot. After being picked, the coffee is hand sorted to remove any additional underripe or damaged cherries. The cherries are then machine pulped and delivery to dry on the farm’s extensive patios. Pulped Natural coffees are dried slowly so that they lose no more than 0.5% humidity per hour. Typically, on the first day, the parchment will be left on the patios (or raised beds) in a thin layer. After it begins to dry, over the following days, it will be turned regularly, making increasingly thicker layers until the drying parchment reaches around 15-18% humidity. The coffee is then usually finished in mechanical dryers, though some speciality micro-lots will dry entirely on the open-air raised beds.
This is one of the best Brazilian coffees we've ever had in the Roastery. Sweet marzipan notes with a smooth creamy mouthfeel with a peanut finish. Amazing as a brewed coffee.
Price shown per 500g
