Brazil Nossa Senhora de Fatima Organic & Fair Trade

Smooth and buttery with a nutty finish. Notes of brown sugar, cherry, caramel and walnuts. One of the best Brazilian coffees in our recent memory and one we find ourselves reaching for often.

Arrival Date: January 18th, 2019

Acidity & Brightness: Moderately low acidity

Balance & Finish: Well balanced, mild, nutty finish

Body & Texture: Medium-full bodied, creamy mouthfeel

Flavors: Brown sugar, cherry, caramel and walnuts

Grade: Relatively soft, lower altitude 

Certifications: N/A

Processing: Natural (dry) processed, sun dried

Varietals: Acaia, Bourbon, Catuai, Mundo Novo

Roasting: Start with a  Full City  (Medium), or just up to the second crack. Mogiana coffee will roast a little unevely due to the natural processing.  We don't recommend carrying Brazil coffees too dark in the roasting spectrum.  Since they are grown in full sun, they mature fairly rapidly.  This results in a softer bean that we don't think takes to dark roasting well.  If your roaster has variable temperature, avoid the hottest settings preclude scorching or "tipping".  When kept to a medium dark roast, this coffee is exceptionally sweet and has a nice, gentle, mild cup.  If roasted to dark, like most softer bean coffees, it can pick up an unpleasant ashy taste.

Our Review: The Nossa Senhora de Fatima farm is owned by Ricardo de Aguiar Resende and his wife, Gisele, both of whom are 3rd generation coffee producers. They live on the farm and are very dedicated to their work. They have developed and implemented several social projects, including housing for workers, the building of a school, and an education program for the worker’s children. The farm consists of 395 hectares, of which 235 are planted with coffee. Environmental protection and preservation are a priority for Ricardo and Gisele. They have invested in replanting native trees, taking care of the native flora and fauna, and the development of a reforestation process for shade trees. To improve the quality of the beans, the owners have created organic compost fertilizers and are using micro-organisms from the farm to enhance and to feed the trees.

Despite that it's the single largest producer of coffee in the world, it is surprisingly difficult to find really exceptional beans from Brazil. Particularly organic and fair trade beans. That's why this is one of our favorite Brazilian coffees and one we come back to often. It's got a rich, warm and buttery texture with moderate to low acidity. The flavor profile is nice and simple with notes of brown sugar, cherry, caramel and walnuts with a characteristically Brazilian nutty finish. Simple, easy, go-to coffee that's sure to satisfy. We love this coffee in Italian style espresso blends for it's nutty finish and great crema.