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Fazenda Santo Andre is located in the Cerrado Mineiro region of Minas Gerais under the guidance of producer Lincoln Ferreira. The farm is located on a plateau at an altitude of 1,220 meters. Nights are very cold and days are hot, which promotes a longer, slower growing that results in a denser bean. These cool nights also allow the plant to accumulate sugars (rather than use them up), leading to a sweeter cup. The Cerrado region is known for having distinct rain patterns during the summer months, and being a gentle and dry area during the harvest period. Such conditions are perfect for creating sweet, ripe coffee cherries.

Brazil Santo Andre is 100% Mundo Novo varietal, which is a hybrid of the original two Arabica mutations, Typica and Bourbon. Mundo Novo is an interesting child of two parents, one of which, Typica, is very low yielding and, if lacking in nutrition, will drop every single leaf before it lets go of the cherry. The other, Bourbon, produces 20%-30% more coffee cherries than Typica, but they mature faster and are at risk of detaching from the tree in heavy rains or winds. So what happens to the offspring, then? It picks up on the yield of the Bourbon, the tenacity of the Typica, and the excellent cup quality of both! It is a very well-rounded varietal, and a beautifully lush coffee tree to boot.

Brazil Santo Andre has a very smooth and easy cup profile, with a lot of dark chocolate, malt and roasted almonds in the aroma, as well as the flavor. I characterize the acidity as sweet-citric and wide, meaning that you will definitely experience some candy-like orange on the sides of your tongue and cheeks. But make no mistake, this is not a high acidity coffee. Santo Andre rounds out with a smooth cocoa finish and long pleasant bitters. Its flavor profile is one reason why it is a component of our Leftist blend.

Sitio Santa Clara is a 10.3 hectare farm located in the municipality of Andradas. The small farm is part of the larger Tijuco Preto Cafés Especiais group out of Sul de Minas. The Tijuco Preto group is a multi faceted operation that not only produces high quality green coffee for export, but they also roast and retail their own line of coffee called Tijuco Preto Estate Coffee. Their organic line comes from the small Santa Clara farm, which produces roughly 40,000 lbs (~18,000kgs) of green coffee per year. We've purchased a little less than half of what Santa Clara produces, and will use the coffee as a component in our Piccolo Mondo blend as well as offering it as a single origin.

Brazil Santa Clara is the kind of coffee that reminds you that simplicity can also be elegant. It has a soft caramel, cocoa and cashew butter aroma, and one heck of a viscous, creamy mouthfeel. It is solidly sweet, with a very mild cherry-like acidity that is enveloped in a nutty, caramel candy.

Enjoy!