Brazil
Cerrado Mineiro
Sandra Soeli de Andrade
Cabeceira do Córrego Engenho da Serra
Red Catuai
Natural
July-August
Dark Chocolate, Molases, Marzipan
1200 meters
N/A
60kg with liner
SOLD OUT
The journey of the Cabeceira do Córrego Engenho da Serra Farm began in the 1970s when its founder, José Humberto de Andrade, one of the pioneers of coffee in the region, acquired his first lands in Carmo do Paranaíba, Minas Gerais.
Today, the farm is managed by the founder’s family, under the careful administration of Sandra Soeli de Andrade along with her nephew Lucas Santos. The focus now is on renewal, never forgetting the tradition and its history.
Ninety of the farm’s 135 hectares are planted with Red Catuai, which flowers between September and October for the July and August harvest. Cabeceira do Córrego Engenho da Serra sits between 1100 and 1200 meters above sea level, with an average temperature of 22° C and an average annual production of 2,500 bags. The higher elevation and climate conditions of cool evenings and sunny, warm days allowing slower maturation of the cherries.
This lot of Red Catuai coffee underwent Natural processing. Catuai was made by the Instituto Agronomico (IAC) of Sao Paulo State in Campinas, Brazil by crossing Mundo Novo and Caturra varieties. Catuai coffees are cultivated widely across Brazil, and are known for their high productivity potential.
The Cerrado Mineiro region, located in northwest of Minas Gerais State is a world-recognized, high-quality coffee producing origin and became the first Protected Geographical Indication in Brazil in 2005, with full Designation of Origin in 2013. A strong characteristic of this region is its well-defined seasons—a hot, wet summer is followed by a pleasantly dry winter. The dry climate during harvest eliminates potential problems with humidity during the drying process.
Minas Gerais is Brazil’s principal agricultural state, and the Cerrado is home to many of the country’s celebrated coffee estates, with expertise in planting, harvesting, drying, and sorting. We love Cerrado coffees for their big body, rich chocolate notes, and velvety texture when pulled as espresso.
Today, the area’s 4,500 farmers produce a combined average of 6 million bags per harvest, with an average of 35 bags per hectare. To reach these production levels, producers had to first adapt to the region’s conditions. Coffee farmers first arrived in Cerrado in the 1970’s, after being pushed out of the state of Parana by frost and out of the state of Sao Paolo by nematodes. They found the soil in Cerrado to be very acidic, which they rectified with the application of calcium to create the healthy soils they enjoy today.
Cerrado coffee farms are cultivated in areas with elevations varying between 800 and 1,300 meters above sea level and are known for consistently producing high quality coffees with a repeatable profile. Independent of farm size, the spirit of professionalism is present throughout Cerrado’s coffee producers. Entrepreneurialism is part of farmers’ DNA, and many producers are second or third generation growers who also hold degrees in agronomic engineering, business management, and administration. While each family narrative is different, Cerrado is characterized by an enterprising attitude.
The Cerrado Mineiro Designation of Origin recognizes demarcated territory that produces a product with unique characteristics not found anywhere else. In Brazil, the recognition of the Designation of Origin is made by the INPI – National Institute of Industrial Property. The Cerrado Mineiro Region Designation of Origin includes 55 municipalities that produce coffee with a special cup profile. Coffees from Cerrado Mineiro have a unique identity and quality resulting from the combination of climate, soil, terrain, altitude and know-how of people, from producers to agronomists to warehouse engineers.
