Brazil Nossa Senhora da Medalha Natural
Late last year we reached out to our friends at De La Finca Coffee to see what was on the horizon for the upcoming Brazil harvest. Lo and behold, their team had just returned from Brazil after meeting with several partner farmers and the harvest was looking great! Well, it took a few more months of (impatient) waiting, but they’ve finally arrived!
When we got a look at our options, this one immediately stuck out – single farm, single variety (yellow catuai), and yet somehow very affordably priced. That’s the trifecta! And the proof’s in the cup because farmer Bruno Henrique has done a stellar job with his coffee. It ties with our other Brazilian offering from De La Finca (Vila Boa Anaerobic Natural) for cleanest cups we’ve ever had the pleasure of enjoying from Brazil. On top of that, it’s got delightful key lime brightness and a rich, creamy texture along with notes of green grape, clementine and honey balanced with a warm undertone of baker’s chocolate.
Reminder! This coffee is raw, you must roast it before brewing
Arrival Date: January 12, 2024, US Arrival: December 2023, packed in Ecotact
Acidity & Brightness: Fairly brightness and moderately sweet
Balance & Finish: Balanced with a clean finish
Body & Texture: Full body and creamy texture
Flavors: Green grape, key lime, honey, clementine & baker’s chocolate
Grade: 16UP NY 2/3, Grown at 1200-1280 masl
Processing: Natural process
Grower: Bruno Henrique| Fazenda Nossa Senhora da Medalha
Region: Conceição Das Pedras, Minas Gerais-Mantiqueira, Brazil
Varietals: Yellow Catuai
Recommended Roast Range: City+ to Full City+ (Light-medium to Medium-dark)
Start at City+ (light-medium, at the tail end of 1st crack) and go as dark as Full City+ (medium-dark, when the first few snaps of 2nd crack begin) depending on your desired flavor profile. We prefer this coffee at City+ to capture the fruity flavors of the natural processing along with the bright acidity in the cup; but for folks looking for a more balanced, less intense cup and desiring to bring out more sweetness and body, we think you will enjoy this coffee at full medium (when 1st crack has ended but before 2nd crack has begun).
De La Finca Coffee - "Fazenda Nossa Senhora da Medalha (“Our Lady of the Medal”) is located on the Minas Gerais side of Serra da Mantiqueira, in the south of the state of Minas Gerais, in the city of Conceição das Pedras – MG – Brazil.
It was acquired by Bruno Henrique and family in 1995 with 14 hectares and approximately twenty-six thousand coffee trees.
Production is 100% arabica trees containing Catuaí, Mundo Novo, Acaiá and Icatu varietals. At an altitude that varies from 1200-1280m, the coffee is manually harvested has unique characteristics due to the combination of climate, soil and altitude in the Mantiqueira de Minas region.
Cultivation takes place sustainably taking careful consideration of the environment, the resources used to grow the coffee as well as Brazilian labor laws, offering opportunities and quality of life to our employees."
