Brazil | Sitio Da Torre | Yellow Bourbon | Natural #7895

Are you looking to buy Brazil | Sitio Da Torre | Yellow Bourbon | Natural #7895 in Australia?

COFFEE GRADE: NY2 Scr. 16+
FARM/COOP/STATION: Sítio da Torre
VARIETAL: Yellow Bourbon
PROCESSING: Natural
ALTITUDE: 1,100 to 1,300 meters above sea level
OWNER: Silva family
REGION: Mantiqueira de Minas
FARM SIZE: 95 hectares
AREA UNDER COFFEE: 46 hectares
COMMENTS/PRIZES: 29 Cup of Excellence winning lots
HARVEST MONTHS: Sul de Minas: April - September | Cerrado Mineiro: May - September | Mogiana: April - September | Matas de Minas: April -September

Cultivation

Located in the Mantiqueira de Minas region, the high elevation, fertile soil and well-defined seasons create the ideal environment for cultivating dense, sweet cherry. Sitio da Torre also holds the Denomination of Origin seal, that guarantees the quality and the origin of this lot.

They receive agronomic support from COCARIVE (Cooperativa Regional dos Cafeicultores do Vale do Rio Verde). The Silva family cultivates Yellow Bourbon, Red Bourbon, Yellow Catucai, Yellow Catuai and Acaia varieties on Sítio da Torre.

Harvest & Post-Harvest

Unusually for Brazil, cherry is selectively handpicked at Sítio da Torre. Cherry is delivered to the farm’s processing center. After harvest, cherry is laid to dry in thin layers on patios. Under direct sunlight, cherry is carefully monitored and turned frequently. Once dry, cherry rests on the farm before being transported to COCARIVE’s warehouse where it is prepared for export.

About Bourbon

Bourbon is a specialty coffee darling known for its excellent cup quality and good performance at high altitudes. The variety is susceptible to the major diseases, which can make it difficult to grow. Bourbon traces its heritage back to Yemen. French missionaries introduced Bourbon from Yemen to Bourbon Island (now known as La Reunion) in the early 1700s. Bourbon takes its name from the island where it prospered. Bourbon has had a huge effect on modern coffee varieties as one of the major ascensions for many varieties grown across the world. Today, Bourbon is available in both yellow and red varieties. 

About Brazil

Just under 40% of all coffee in the world is produced in Brazil - around 3.7 million metric tons annually. With so much coffee produced, it’s no wonder that the country produces a wide range of qualities. Brazil produces everything from natural Robusta, to the neutral and mild Santos screen 17/18, to the distinctive Rio Minas 17/18. In recent years, Brazilian producers have also begun investing more heavily in specialty coffee production. Through our in-country partners in Brazil, including our sister company, we are able to provide a wide range of Brazilian coffees to our clients: from macrolot to microlot.

Today, the most prolific coffee growing regions of Brazil are Espirito Santo, São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Bahia. Most Brazilian coffee is grown on large farms that are built and equipped for maximizing production output through mechanical harvesting and processing. The relatively flat landscape across many of Brazil’s coffee regions combined with high minimum wages has led most farms to opt for this type of mechanical harvesting over selective hand-picking.

In the past, mechanization meant that strip-picking was the norm; however, today’s mechanical harvesters are increasingly sensitive, meaning that farms can harvest only fully ripe cherries at each pass, which is good news for specialty-oriented producers.

In many cases and on less level sections of farms, a mixed form of ‘manual mechanized’ harvesting may be used, where ripe coffee is picked using a derriçadeira – a sort of mechanized rake that uses vibration to harvest ripe cherry. A tarp is spanned between coffee trees to capture the cherry as it falls.

With the aid of these newer, more selective technologies, there’s a growing number of farms who are increasingly concerned with – and able to deliver - cup quality.