Brazil
Sitio Da Torre - Brazil
250g
QUALITY SCORE: 85.50
Cup Notes
Praline / Walnut / Caramel / Sugar Cane
Suggested for espresso and filte
when we roast
We freshly roast to order all coffees on Monday, Wednesday and Friday (excluding national holidays), and ship the same day! Cut-off time is 11:59pm (UTC+1) of the day before the roast day. *We only ship whole beans*
Details
- Quality Score
- 85.50
- Producer
- Alvaro Pereira Coli
- Country
- Brazil
- Terroir
- Carmo De Minas
- Altitude
- 1200 mt
- Process
- Pulped Natural
- Arabica cultivar
- Yellow Catuai
- Picked in
- July 2019
- Arrived in
- February 2020
- Shipped in
- Jute + GrainPro
- Roast profile by
- Rubens Gardelli
- Roasted on
- Customised solid-drum roaster
THE STORY BEHIND
Sitio da Torre is located in the city of Carmo de Minas, southern Minas Gerais, in the Serra da Mantiqueira region. The Pereira family, who owns the farm, is the fourth generation coffee farmers and currently produces both natural and pulped natural coffees. Sitio da Torre produces around 1000 bags of coffee annually in an area of 30 acres, within a total area of 70 acres.
The plantation possesses “Certifica Minas”, “Fair Trade” and “Rainforest Alliance” certifications. Sitio da Torre is also affiliated with the Brazilian Specialty Coffee Association (BSCA).
Cherries are harvested selectively and washed the same day they are picked. Processed green beans are then transported to the drying area until they are semi-dry. The lots are always numbered for perfect traceability. Once dried, the parchment is sent to a mechanical dryer and dried to moisture content of 11%. After 30 days rest period in wooden bins, the coffee is hulled and packaged. Throughout every stage, Sitio da Torre’s management are advised by agronomists and experienced and knowledgeable processing staff.
THE VARIETY
A cross between highly productive Mundo Novo and compact Caturra, made by the Instituto Agronomico (IAC) of Sao Paulo State in Campinas, Brazil. The plant is highly productive compared to Bourbon, in part because of its small size, which allows plants to be closely spaced; it can be planted at nearly double the density. The plant’s shape makes it relatively easy apply pest and disease treatments. It is mainly characterized by great vigor and its low height; it is less compact than Caturra. It is highly susceptible to coffee leaf rust.
Catuaí derives from the Guarani multo mom, meaning “very good." Today, it is considered to have good but not great cup quality. There are yellow-fruited and red-fruited types, and have since been many selections in different countries. The cultivar was created in 1949 from a crossing of yellow Caturra and Mundo Novo, and initially called H-2077.
The variety was released in Brazil 1972 after pedigree selection (selection of individual plants through successive generations) and is in wide cultivation there.
It was first introduced in Honduras in 1979, where it was tested by Instituto Hondureño del Café (IHCAFÉ). It was released commercially in 1983, after IHCAFÉ selected two lines for planting. In Honduras today, Catui accounts for nearly half of the Arabica coffee in cultivation. Researchers at IHCAFÉ are actively pursuing breeding with Catuai, including creating hybrid crosses between Catuai and Timor Hybrid lines.
THE FERMENTATION PROCESS
Pulped Natural
The method was pioneered in Brazil around twenty years ago, where it was originally called Cereja Descascada or “peeled cherry”. This is because the process involves removing the skin of the fruit before letting the coffee dry with almost all of the pulp still on the beans.
It’s essentially a middle ground between the dry and wet processing methods. During the natural (or dry) method, the beans are dried entirely in their natural form, while the washed (or wet) process sees all of the soft fruit residue, both skin and pulp, removed before the coffee is dried.
