Brazil
Montanhas do Espirito Santo
Valdir Mansk
Sítio Alto Santa Joana
Catucai
Washed
June–August
Honey, Molasses, Peach
1040 meters
N/A
60 kg w/ GrainPro
SOLD OUT
Sítio Alto Santa Joana can be found almost halfway between Afonso Claudio and Santa Maria de Jetibá in the Espírito Santo region of Brazil. Producer Valdir Mansk was born and raised near the farm, on which his grandfather, Germano Mansk, began coffee production. The farm was passed on to Valdir’s father, Theodoro, from whom Valdir learned to take care of the land and administer the farm.
Valdir began investing in production improvements in 2010 and his first quality investment was the acquisition of a small depulper. The coffee grower, of Pomeranian (Geman-Polish) descent, reveals that his secrets for producing quality coffee includes harvesting on only ripe cherries and in monitoring the coffee drying on the patio so that beans do not over ferment.
Coffee grows on 8 hectares of the farm under the shade provided by the cedar trees planted on the property. Farming remains a family business with Valdir’s wife Irinea as well as Valdir’s sons Thiago, Valdinei, and Gilberto sharing in the work. Last year they installed a micro roaster on the property and enthusiastically continue to produce specialty coffee.
This lot of Catucai underwent Washed processing. Catucai was developed as a cross between Icatu and Catuai. The first selection was made in 1988 by researchers at the then Brazilian Coffee Institute (IBC) in a population of the Red Icatu cultivar. After generations of breeding and selection in both Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo, the program gave rise to cultivars with red fruits and yellow fruits, then named Catucai.
The Montanhas do Espírito Santo region is dominated by small-scale coffee growers and is characterized by the presence of farmers who are actively engaged in the entire chain of the production process. Growers in Espirito Santo work with family members and build off of traditional knowledge to innovate and improve their quality of life and coffee. Located in the southern area of the Espirito Santo state, where mild temperatures (73ºF) and steep highlands (between 700 and 1000 meters) favor growing Arabica coffees, this region produces a superb quality coffee with a round body, nice acidity, and fine sweetness. Pulped Naturals are increasing in popularity as a processing style to capture the attributes of the region’s coffee.
The state of Espirito Santo has its capital in the city of Vitoria, and the coastal location of Espirito Santo to the south of Bahia, east of Minas Gerais, and north of Rio de Janeiro makes it a popular destination for its beaches. Inland, Espirito Santo is home to natural parks and preserves that protect the rich biodiversity of flora and fauna. Many communities in the mountains of Espirito Santo were settled at the beginning of the twentieth century by European immigrants from Italy and the Pomeranian region along the Baltic Sea coast, straddling the border between what are now Germany and Poland.
