Brazil Barra Grande Natural
This single estate coffee from Sitio Barra Grande is easy going and mild. It's very balanced and gentle with a sweet profile, creamy body and nutty finish. Perfect for those who prefer a gentle cup and for Italian style espresso blends.
Arrival Date: February 27th, 2017
Acidity & Brightness: Low acidity and mild
Balance & Finish: Well balanced, mild, nutty finish
Body & Texture: Medium-full bodied, creamy mouthfeel
Flavors: Cocoa powder, orange and almonds.
Grade: SB or soft bean. Almost all Brazilian beans are grown lower altitude, this is their highest grade.
Certifications: Single Estate
Processing: Natural (dry) processed, sun dried
Varietals: Yellow Catuai & Mundo Novo
Roasting: Start with a Full City (Medium), or just up to the second crack. This coffee will taste great anywhere between City + (light-medium) and Full City + (medium-dark). Be gentle with these beans, as with all Brazilian beans as they are a bit softer due to being grown at lower altitudes. Reduce the heat more often than you would with an SHB bean and let them coast a little slower.
Our Review: Sildes Caixeta, owner of Sitio Barra Grande, is a third generation coffee farmer from a region called “Alto Barreiro”, on the border of Poço Fundo and Machado in Minas Gerais, Brazil. The farm was owned by his grandfather, but when Sildes was 5 years old, his family was forced to sell the property. In 1985, the young man bought the property back and now lives in the house his grandfather built. “I am very proud of this place; here is where I first learned the biggest lesson of my life - patience is everything. I did wait 30 years, but the opportunity came and I was ready to buy this property back.” When asked what he would like people to know who enjoy his coffee: “Our secret - patience! We don’t rush, we rotate the cherries multiple times under the sun. My son sometimes wants to get things done faster, but I try to teach him that patience is our secret for good quality and we’re finally seeing the results by selling it for a better price.”
We appreciate Slides Caixeta's philosophy of patience winning the race, because it has produced a delicious Brazilian coffee.
How does it taste? Whether you are brewing this as part of your espresso blend or standing on its own, this bean is excellent. The first word that comes to mind as I drink is "creamy". The body is weighty, but on the delicate and mild side. There are notes of sweet cocoa and just a bit of ripe orange. That sweet, fruity character no doubt comes from the Natural processing where the coffee fruit pulp is allowed to dry on the bean before removal. Overall, incredibly well balanced and a mild cup with low acidity.
