Overview
This is a minimal intervention natural coffee from Minas Gerais, Brazil, produced by the Fernandes family on their farm, Sítio do Balaio.
The flavor profile is that of an elevated classic natural Brazil, with present but not overwhelming fruit character like blackberries, the sweetness of salted caramel, and the depth of dark chocolate and spice.
Our roasters found complexity in some quicker roasts but generally favored the balance of the standard low and slow approach utilized for low density Brazilian beans.
Taste Analysis by Isabella Vitaliano
I could write something that’s very romantic, lyrical, and a little bit imaginative. Instead, I’m going to be direct and to the point. This coffee. is. Delicious. And. You. Need. To. Buy. It (!!!). I almost want to stop there but that would be doing this coffee a disservice. A Red Catuai selection from the Fernandez family offers a keen perspective on cultivar selection from Brazil. Although Brazil is rich in microclimates and land it can be hard to find lots that are as well curated as this.
From salted caramel to sweet blueberry and blackberry, the natural component of this coffee is present, and it’s obvious but not overpowering. What makes this coffee so good is the dance between a sort of salted caramel and umami element. There are some heavier notes of peppercorn and baking spices that add depth and intricacy to the profile.
Source Analysis by Chris Kornman
Brazilian coffees have a special place in my heart. The country was my first sourcing assignment years ago, and its reputation for at-scale agro-industrial commercial coffee production makes specialty selections quite the afterthought in most coffee roasters’ minds. There’s something so refreshing and rewarding about holding a rare jewel of a coffee as a counterexample of presuppositions. I love a good underdog story.
This is one such jewel. It is a very classically produced natural coffee with minimal intervention on a moderate elevation estate using a relatively common cultivar. At a glance, it shouldn’t even be in the conversation for Crown Jewels, and yet, here it is.
What makes it special? Well, of course, our considerations always incorporate flavor as a primary qualifier, and this coffee is delicious. It’s a pristine example of a classic Brazilian natural profile—its fruit flavors apparent, its cleanliness refined, its sweetness deep and tangible. It’s a paragon of what’s possible when producers pay attention to the details matter, when craft supersedes volume.
It’s also from a source I know and trust. For me, the definition of specialty coffee is inseparable from relationships. I was offered this selection through Carmo Coffees, an exporter I’ve known for 15 years and whose growth and status as a global supplier of extraordinary qualities has been established through grit and determination. Luiz Paulo, its founder, and his team have an open line of communication with me and a great deal of mutual respect.
And the producer of this coffee has a story to tell. The Fernandes family started farming livestock and sugarcane in the municipality of Pedralva in the 1970s, when devastating frosts made the prospects of coffee planting perilous. Mario Fernandes thought he saw an opportunity as prices for coffee rose in the wake of frost-induced shortages, only to lose his crop to a subsequent frost.
At the urging of his son, Paulo Alexandre, Mario reinvested in coffee. With the support of his family, Sítio Fernandes grew over the next thirty years. When Mario passed away in 2010, the difficult decision was made to split the Fernandes parcel between his children who were interested in carrying on his legacy, reducing the individual plot sizes but increasing the capacity for specialty production and precise land management. Today, Paulo Alexandre and his wife Débora manage their farm, known now as Sítio do Balaio. It’s a scant 10 hectares, miniscule by Brazilian coffee estate standards, of which just 4 hectares are planted with coffee.
I’m very pleased to present this limited offering of Brazilian coffee, cultivated and processed at such a small scale, as evidence of the potential and excellence possible in a region often relegated to blenders and commodified production. There’s something very special about producers taking the risk to buck trends, and the reward that comes with achieving excellence that is more than the sum of its parts. Saúde!
