BRAZILIAN IPANEMA ESPIRITO DE SOL COFFEE

Brazil grows more coffee than anywhere in the world, from mass-produced filler coffees to sublime, single origin examples like this. It is a varietal of the famous Bourbon coffee bean, which makes it great for freshly brewed coffee and especially espresso. According to the Rainforest Alliance, it is recognized as the best Brazilian coffee and one of the four best speciality coffees in the world. It is certainly a coffee of great complexity, with cupping notes observed by SCAA cuppers that included: great body, zest, almond, walnut, honey, caramel, sweet citrus, star fruit, floral aromas and chocolate. We buy these small 'lots' from an estate that engages in practices that exemplifies all that is meant by the term speciality coffee. This current batch is made on the Fazenda Rio Verde farm on the Ipanema estate and is from the best harvest distinguished as Ipanema Premier Cru. In the pursuit of coffee excellence, they have allocated as much time to the social and environmental issues surrounding coffee as the distinguished and unique varieties of coffee they prepare. The plantation is certified by UTZ and the Rainforest Alliance, along with many other less high profile but no less worthy initiatives. This unique lot is processed using the ‘natural’ sun-dried method, although they also produce fine coffee by the ‘wet’ method. Sun drying ensures the sweetest flavours. It is also stored in wooden bins for around two months in order to allow its complex flavour to blend, optimizing the internal moisture level of the beans. As with all of our coffees, they are roasted in the shop in small batches to fully realise the best flavour profile.

FAZENDA RIO VERDE IPANEMA INFO

The Rio Verde farm was founded in 1887. Located in the heart of the Mantiqueira Mountains region, due to its mountainous topography and ideal climate considered one of the best coffee regions, the farm remained family-owned until the acquisition by Ipanema Coffees in 2008. The 1,500 hectares farm today is one of our three farms, producing excellent yields and qualities on up to 1,330 meters above sea level.

In 1964, three friends shared a common vision that was to change the coffee industry in Brazil. Inspired by fine wineries, their vision was to produce exceptional coffee of the highest standards with minimum ecological impact. And so they founded Ipanema Coffees, a company that 40 years later would be recognized as one of the most important and innovative coffee farms worldwide. Alternatively, we could simply mention today that Ipanema is the 28th largest “country” – based on its annual coffee production! By harmonizing the unique characteristics of each of the 200+ terroirs found at Ipanema, the perfect cup of coffee is the result of the combination of coffee variety, soil morphology and geology, temperature, sunlight, elevation and rainfall to determine the different flavours of the final product. Through a specific harvesting process, they have chosen the best terroirs to create this unique collection of Speciality Coffees, in addition to providing full traceability of all steps throughout the entire process."�"� These unique and exclusive products are available in few quantities, under limited or commemorative editions, to promote the concept of single origin with direct trade and full traceability of coffee batches. The 'Bourbon' coffee varietal is responsible for changing the world's perception of the quality of Brazilian coffee. Bourbon coffee was originally produced on the Island of Reunion (Africa), formerly known as the Island of Bourbon due to its colonization by the French dynasty of the House of Bourbon, around 1715.

Rio Verde was founded in 1887 and is the oldest of the company's farms. Located in the heart of the Mantiqueira de Minas Mountains, translated as the Crying Mountains, this 1.500 hectares farm is a true natural sanctuary, where coffees are grown at elevations of up to 1.300 meters above sea level, surrounded by virgin forests, waterfalls, springs and hiking trails. Its clay soil is rich in decomposed minerals, and full of nutrients due to its rich flora and fauna as well as water springs. High elevations combined with mountainous topography create an own microclimate, with mild temperatures and rainfall average of 1.600 mm a year, ideal for growing Yellow Bourbon, Acaia, Yellow Catuai, Yellow Topazio, Mundo Novo, Yellow Icatu and Catucai. The diversity of the environment along with many coffee varieties produce numerous terroirs with all kind of flavour and taste nuances, resulting in more complex coffee profiles.