Another country of origin from which we source our coffee specialties: Brazil - the fifth largest country in the world in terms of area and population, and with over 200 million inhabitants the most populous country in South America. We have been working with our farmer Ismael, Ismael Jose de Andrade from Brazil, for around nine years now. We have a very close and positive, as well as personal, working relationship with him, which of course includes several meetings throughout the year.
Ismael runs the family business together with his brother, Eduardo de Andrade, in the second generation . The family now has immense specialist knowledge, which is passed on to existing and new employees through training. The history of the Andrade family began in 1900 with just one goal: to grow high-quality coffee .
The fincas of our coffee farmer Ismael Andrade
The family now has several farms in its growing areas, which are among the oldest in the region: Finca São Silvestre, Finca Dolce Cerrado, Finca Paraiso and Finca Capim Branco . We have been getting our Brazilian coffee from Finca Capim Branco for many years. The farm is located in the Cerrado Mineiro region and covers 338 hectares with around 1,500,000 coffee trees at an altitude of around 1,150 metres . The variety grown here is basically “Yellow Catuai”. The harvest time in Brazil, or rather on our farm, is from May to August, and around 35 employees then work on Finca Capim Branco to harvest and process the ripe, red cherries.
All key data at a glance:
Growing area: Cerrado Mineiro, Brazil
Cultivation height: 1,150 m
Size: 338 hectares
Coffee trees: 1,500,000
Harvest time: May to August
Farm Manager: Ismael José de Andrade
Variety: Yellow Catuai
Employees: 35, during harvest
Coffee farmer Ismael at the Cup of Excellence
Every year, Ismael takes one of his coffees to one of the most recognized and well-known competitions for specialty coffees, the Cup of Excellence, or COE for short . The competition is organized by the ACE (Alliance of Coffee Excellence) according to their globally recognized and strict quality and evaluation criteria. Every year, thousands of specialty coffees are submitted for testing, but ultimately only around 300 of these are tasted at the competition . An international jury made up of coffee experts from all over the world tastes and evaluates the ten best coffees up to 120 times. The different types of coffee are judged according to the following ten criteria: aroma, acidity, character, sweetness, clarity, balance, defects, finish and, of course, the overall impression . Only coffees that have achieved at least 86 points or more in the assessment can be called specialty coffees. These award-winning coffees are then traded and sold at an auction at absolute top prices. There are always strictly limited and small quantities of the respective specialty coffee, so only a very few winning coffees come to Europe, or even Germany.
Successes at the CoE
We are therefore all the more pleased that Ismael was able to win the Cup of Excellence with one of his coffees with the 2018 harvest . The winner was grown and cultivated on the Finca Paraiso, which is also located in the Cerrado Mineiro region. The growing area there is at an altitude of 1,100 meters and has optimal climatic conditions with sufficient rainfall and sunshine all year round. On the farm, which is only 13 hectares in size, quality is a top priority, and constant checks are carried out after every single step of the process. From cultivation, to harvesting and processing, to storage. The winning coffee was a Red Catuai and was processed naturally, and convinced the jury with a whopping 93.26 points . A record sum of € 168.00 per kilo of coffee was paid for our COE at the auction. Perhaps one or the other is wondering what happens to the proceeds from the auction afterwards? 75% of this goes to the farmers of Brazil to support and motivate them for the coming production and harvest.
Our Brasil Capim Branco
And now a few facts about our Brazilian: It has a medium roast and is therefore a real all-rounder, it can be used and prepared using any preparation method . In terms of taste, it impresses with notes of chocolate and nuts, as well as slightly fruity nuances. At home, or on the go when traveling, you can easily prepare your Brasil in a stovetop kettle, for example. To ensure that you can prepare it perfectly, we have put together a small recipe recommendation/instructions for you to use as a guide. What do you actually need for preparation? Very simple: a stovetop kettle, your Brazilian , or another favorite coffee of your choice, and a stovetop, but preparation with a gas cooker is also possible.
Tips & tricks for a tasty coffee from Brazil
• We recommend using preheated water if possible for a faster brewing process. Then fill the stovetop jug with water up to the valve.
• Pour your freshly ground coffee into the sieve provided up to the edge and press it down lightly with your fingers.
• Now set your stove or gas cooker to medium heat and place your pot.
• As soon as a continuous stream comes out, take your stovetop pot off the heat source and then cool the bottom part of the pot with a cold, wet cloth to stop the brewing process. Be careful not to burn your fingers! Ideally, serve the coffee immediately .
Too strong, too weak or too bitter? Tip: Change the grind, brewing time and/or the amount of coffee.
If you would like to try your Brasil with other preparation recommendations, go ahead! Here you can get a summary of several preparation recommendations .
