Brazil | Ipanema A35

Region: Sul de Minas, Minas Gerais
Altitude: 1,088 - 1,143 metres above sea level
Varietal: Red Acaia
Process: Anaerobic Natural
Awards: #15, Cup of Excellence 2018

A favourite over the years, this season's A35 microlot is balanced and smooth, featuring jammy cherry notes with a rich chocolate finish.

This coffee is recommended for Espresso, stovetop and French Press.

Origin Story This micro-lot was grown at Fazenda Rio Verde located in the Mantiqueira mountains in South-eastern Brazil.

Fazenda Rio Verde is a true fauna and flora sanctuary with its 773 hectares covered by natural forests, waterfalls, springs and a complex ecosystem that represent the lush beauty of the Mantiqueira mountains. Cultivation of coffee in this area can be traced back to 1887 when the first coffee plantation was established. Over the years, the farm (the oldest of three farms under the Ipanema Coffees group) has been leading innovation and sustainability efforts, embracing advanced technology and equipment to improve coffee production.

Lot A35 is part of the Premier Cru program where the highest altitude lots produced on the farm are hand-picked and separately processed lot-by-lot. The farm is divided into 69 individual plots (known as 'Glebes'), and the best 35 Glebes were selected for the 2021 harvest. These lots were harvested and processed as unique lots which are identified by a code (e.g. A35, in this case). The letter A refers to the coffee variety (Acaia) and the number (35) refers to one of the 35 Glebes.
Processing The coffee was selectively hand-harvested and then processed using the traditional Natural method with an anaerobic fermentation for 90 hours. After processing, the cherries were dried on a conventional patio for 147 hours and finished in vertical dryers for 95 hours. Once dried, the coffee is rested in bags before being hulled and prepared for export.