Brazil
Sul de Minas
Antônio Firmo de Mattos
Fazenda Boa Vista
Yellow Bourbon
Natural
June–July
Milk Chocolate, Toffee, Citrus
990 meters
N/A
60 kg w/ GrainPro
SOLD OUT
Antônio Firmo de Mattos came to coffee farming as part of the family business. His grandfather, Francisco Firmo de Mattos, began farming in 1895 at Fazenda do Racho in the municipality of Contagem, Minas Gerais. This farm was the beginning of the family cultivating coffee—a legacy that would carry through generations to continue on today.
Antônio chose to farm in Sul de Minas at the recommendation of several other farmers who were dedicated to quality just like he was. Today, he operates Fazenda Boa Vista in the city of Oliveira, Minas Gerais. The farm is 30 hectares in total, with 28 hectares dedicated to growing Catuai, Yellow Bourbon, and Mundo Novo coffee trees.
This lot of Yellow Bourbon coffee underwent Natural processing. Yellow Bourbon was discovered in 1930 on a Red Bourbon farm in Pederneiras, São Paulo, Brazil. It’s unclear if Yellow Bourbon developed as a natural mutation of Red Bourbon, or if it was a naturally occurring cross between Red Bourbon and Yellow Botucatu, a mutation of Typica discovered in 1871 in Botucatu, São Paulo. Yellow Bourbon is known for good cup quality and relatively high productivity, and has come back into fashion as a cultivated variety across Brazil after its initial novelty wore off in the mid 1900’s. Instituto Agronomico (IAC) of Sao Paulo State in Campinas, Brazil renewed research efforts of the variety in 2005, seeking to highlight the plant’s robust nature and high cup potential.
Southern Minas Gerais is one of Brazil’s most productive coffee producing areas. This region has grown Arabica coffee since the 1850s and is characterized by rolling hills, a mild climate averaging 23° C, and high elevations. While some of the largest coffee producing properties in Brazil are located in Sul de Minas, more than half of the region’s producers are small to medium-sized farms. Sul de Minas accounts for, on average, 30% of Brazil’s coffee production.
The mountainous terrain, reaching up to 1400 meters above sea level, is ideally suited for growing coffee and Sul de Minas has increased production quality through investments in infrastructure and sustainability measures. The most commonly cultivated varieties are Yellow Catuai and Mundo Novo, with some farms also growing Icatu, Obatã, and Red Catuai. Most of the coffee produced is processed as Natural and the final cup profiles are full bodied, with low acidity and fruity aromas.
