This is a very special pulped natural from Brazil, and one of our first Direct Trade coffees.

Gabriel de Carvalho Dias is one of Brazil's leading agronomists, and Fazenda Cachoeira Da Grama has been in his family since 1890. Gabriel spends some of his time not far from here: he has a warehouse and a roasting facility near Oakville and we at Te Aro have had the pleasure of getting to know him and his wonderful coffee. We are very excited to be able to share this coffee with all of you.

Here is some information about the farm:

With a total area of 417 hectares, Fazenda Cachoeira da Grama has a coffee plantation area of 165 hectares. On this farm everything is done manually since its topography does not allow any kind of mechanisation. The mill is located close to the spa town of Poços de Caldas, 45 minutes from the farm.

Social and environmental sustainability is considered very important here. The farm has a programme of planting native species to maintain a better ecological balance. There is also a school, a club and an official size soccer field for the employees and workers. There are 47 houses, all with modern facilities. The waste water is treated to avoid polluting the stream that runs across the farm. The farm has a small hydroelectric plant and only buys energy during the peak harvest.

Some of the original Bourbon varietal trees are as much as 107 years old. The beans are harvested on a sheet and prepared by the ‘pulped natural’ process that separates the greens. After harvest the beans receive the maximum attention possible so as not to lose any of the body and cup qualities for which this region is famed.

 In the cup look for a sticky sweet toffee and molasses aroma, with nutty undertones. A gentle acidity paired with a smooth and full body makes for a relaxing drinking experience. Finishes with chocolate, hints of vanilla and spices.

Last year we had an exclusive lot from Ruvaldo Delarisse's famed "Plains of Iron" farm. This coffee got a lot of traction and was very versatile, working quite nicely in our Big Bro and standing on its own as a single origin. It was so spectacular, in fact, that one of our baristas chose it as his coffee for the regional competition last year, earning him a place in the Nationals.

We are proud to announce that Delarisse is back! In a different form, to be clear, but the attention to detail and expertise of Mr. Delarisse's operation are in full play again. Andy was able to visit the man himself in Brazil last year, and what he saw so impressed him that he just had to secure some more beans.

This lot is a pulped natural process, rather than the fully natural we had last year, so expect a little more acidity and complexity in the cup, with spicy notes and the characteristic dark fruit tones with caramel.

This microlot hails from Huila, a region in Colombia that has been getting more and more attention due to the high quality cherry coming from there. Grown at 1700m, this Caturra varietal has deep chocolate and spicy notes, with just a hint of fruitiness. 

Like most coffee in the area, the producer, Rufino Castro Bermudez, pulps his own cherry right there on the farm before it is transported and sold to a local co-op. This past summer, the co-op held a friendly competition among farmers and Mr. Bermudez' El Mirador was one of the top scorers. 

This bourbon/catuai varietal comes from Mauricio Esteban Vilchez Urbina in the mountains of Mozonte, Nueva Segovia. He is a past winner of the Cup of Excellence and it isn't difficult to see why. This microlot has a tantalizing praline aroma, a creamy and round body, and a sweetness that just keeps getting sweeter as it cools.