Brazil / Rwanda
Cignobianco® signature blend
*Signature Espresso Blend*
Cup Notes: Milk Chocolate, Almond, Yellow Plum, Caramel
Suggested for espresso
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
- Producer
- Several small farmers
- Country
- Brazil / Rwanda
- Terroir
- Minas Gerais / Nyamasheke
- Altitude
- 1400-1650 masl
- Process
- Natural / Washed
- Arabica cultivar
- Catuai / Red Bourbon
- Shipped in
- Jute + GrainPro
- Roast profile by
- Rubens Gardelli
- Roasted on
- Customised solid-drum roaster
DESCRIPTION
Cignobianco is our signature and only espresso blend and has been the staple of our lineup since the very beginning. It is our interpretation of the perfect everyday coffee, something to be enjoyed whenever the desire takes you. To create it we carefully source two fresh-crop lots of speciality grade Arabica, working closely with the farmers to ensure the highest quality, and then infuse them with our passion and expertise to create a harmonious and balanced taste experience. This supreme balance and wonderful sweetness is reminiscent the grace and elegance of the White Swan (Cigno bianco)
THE VARIETY
CATUAI
Catuai coffee is an Arabica coffee variety developed by crossing the Mundo Novo and Caturra varieties. This plant is known for its adaptability to various climatic and altitude conditions, making it a popular choice among coffee growers in many regions of the world. Originally developed in Brazil in the '50s and '60s, Catuai is now cultivated in various parts of the Americas. Catuai coffee plants are relatively small in size, making them easy to harvest and manage in cultivated fields. The Catuai fruits are generally round in shape, with a smaller size compared to other coffee varieties. The beverage obtained from Catuai beans encompasses a range of aromas and flavours, often characterized by fruity and floral notes.
The variety is also appreciated for its bright acidity and balanced body. 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. Because of this characteristic, the introduction of Catuai partly led to the intensification of full-sun coffee cultivation in Central America in the 1970s and 1980s. The plant’s shape also makes it relatively easy to apply pest and disease treatments. It is characterised by great vigour and low height, while it is less compact than Caturra.
Nowadays, there are yellow-fruited and red-fruited types, with numerous variation. Catuai's downside is that it is highly susceptible to coffee leaf rust. As Catuai has spread to many coffee-growing regions worldwide, taste profiles can vary based on the specific growing conditions of each location. In general, however, Catuai is a versatile variety that can produce high-quality coffee, making it an intriguing choice for growers and coffee enthusiasts seeking a rich and satisfying brew.
RED BOURBON
In 1859, Bourbon seeds arrived in Brazil, sent for by the Brazil central government after hearing that coffee growing on the island of Reunion, then called Bourbon, were more productive and of higher quality than the Typica variety.
Now that the Yellow Bourbon variety exists, the original Bourbon is distinguished as Red Bourbon.
In the 1930’s, different strains of Red Bourbon were bred at the Campinas Agronomic Institute (IAC) in the state of Sao Paulo and distributed to farmers in 1939. Studying the success of different selections of Red Bourbon planted in different regions with distinct conditions helped researchers understand the effects of environmental variations on coffee varieties.
THE FERMENTATION PROCESS
BRAZIL
Dry process seems simple: pick the fruit, lay it out in the sun until it turns from red to brown to nearly black, and then hull off the thick, dried outer layer in one step to reveal the green bean. It is a method suited to arid regions, where the sun and heat can dry the seed inside the intact fruit skin.
It's often referred to as "natural coffee" because of its simplicity, and because the fruit remains intact and undisturbed, a bit like drying grapes into raisins. Since it requires minimal investment, the dry process method is a default to create cheap commodity-grade coffee in areas that have the right climate capable of drying the fruit and seed.
But it’s a fail in humid or wet regions. If the drying isn't progressing fast enough, the fruit degrades, rots or molds.
Dry-processed coffees can also be wildly inconsistent. If you want a cleanly-fruited, sweet, intense cup, dry process (DP) takes more hand labor than the wet process. Even the most careful pickers will take green unripe or semi-ripe coffee off the branch as they pick red, ripe cherry. If these are not removed in the first days of drying, the green turns to brown that is hard to distinguish from the ripe fruit.
RWANDA
Washed coffees showcase solely the bean. They let you taste you what’s on the inside, not the outside. Washed coffees depend almost 100% on the bean having absorbed enough natural sugars and nutrients during its growing cycle. This means the varietal, soil, weather, ripeness, fermentation, washing, and drying are absolutely key.
Washed coffees reflect both the science of growing the perfect coffee bean and the fact that farmers are an integral part of crafting the taste of a coffee bean. When looking at washed coffees, it becomes apparent that the country of origin and environmental conditions play a vital role in adding to the flavour.
During wet processing, the pulp (i.e.the exocarp and a part of the mesocarp) is removed mechanically. The remaining mesocarp, called mucilage, sticks to the parchment and is also removed before drying. During this process, the sugars present in the mucilage are removed through natural fermentation or mechanical scrubbing. Mucilage is insoluble in water and clings to parchment too strongly to be removed by simple washing. Mucilage can be removed by fermentation followed by washing or by strong friction in machines called mucilage removers. Fermentation can be done by stacking the coffee outside or placing it underwater and allowing nature to take its course. After the sugars are removed, the beans then can be taken through a secondary washing to remove any additional debris, or taken immediately to the beds for drying.
