Differences, Distinctions, and Award Recognition of Brazil Queen Estate Single-Origin Coffee Beans

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Introduction to Yellow Bourbon

Yellow Bourbon beans are naturally sweet and clean. Processed with the pulped natural (or semi-washed) method, they develop a bright yet balanced acidity with tropical fruit notes, and the abundant aroma during brewing is particularly captivating.

Fazenda Rainha Estate

Fazenda Rainha belongs to the Carvalho Dias family and has been in operation for over 116 years. Located in the high-altitude region near the Minas border in São Paulo state, at elevations from 1,200 to 1,400 meters, the estate enjoys over 1,800mm of rain annually without excessive downpours. With an average annual temperature of only 19°C, coffee cherries grow slowly, producing dense beans. Although production volume is lower, the aromatic quality far surpasses typical Brazilian highland coffees. The estate grows mainly Bourbon varieties, including some Bourbon trees over 110 years old. Beyond the varieties themselves, Fazenda Rainha's meticulous processing is another key to its exceptional quality.

FrontStreet Coffee · Brazil Fazenda Rainha Pulped Natural Yellow Bourbon

Coffee Information

Country: Brazil
Region: Mogiana (Fazenda Rainha)

Estate Name: Fazenda Rainha (Queen Farm)

Owner: Regina Helena Mello de Carvalho Dias of the Carvalho Dias family

Variety: Yellow Bourbon

Processing: Hand-picked, then pulped natural processing

Harvest Period: Latest harvest arriving May 2006

FrontStreet Coffee Mogiana (Fazenda Rainha) Coffee Beans Detailed Analysis

Origin: Brazil Fazenda Rainha (Mogiana) region

Variety: Yellow Bourbon

Related Knowledge:

The Cup of Excellence (COE) program and its trademark are currently owned and managed by the Alliance for Coffee Excellence (ACE), a non-profit organization. Each year ACE works with COE host countries to run cupping selections and online auctions of specialty coffees, while also recommending and promoting initiatives tied to coffee quality improvement. The goal is to identify exemplary specialty coffees in host countries and share the experience for the industry to learn from.

Flavor Profile:

Yellow Bourbon beans are naturally sweet and clean. Processed with the pulped natural method, they develop a bright acidity that harmonizes beautifully with sweetness, and some batches show tropical fruit notes. The abundant aroma during brewing is especially delightful. Expect delicate citrus acidity, the fresh sweetness of sugarcane juice, black tea notes, and a smooth, refined mouthfeel.

Brewing Instructions:

Hand brew FrontStreet Coffee's Brazil Fazenda Rainha. Use 15g of coffee, a medium grind (Fuji mountain burr grinder setting 4), a V60 dripper, and water at 88-89°C. First pour 30g of water for a 27-second bloom, then pour to 105g and pause. Wait until the water level drops to half, then continue pouring slowly to reach 225g total. Avoid the tail end. Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, extraction time 2:00.

Fazenda Rainha Estate Overview

Fazenda Rainha (Queen Farm) sits in the Alta Mogiana region of São Paulo state, north of São Paulo city. The estate is highly renowned in Brazil and owned by the Carvalho Dias family. The family's four major estates have won awards every year since the first Brazil COE competition in 1999, collecting over 12 awards in 7 years. In 2004, they even swept the championship, 9th place, and 11th place. Among Brazil's countless estates of every size, many have hoped for years to win and found it elusive, yet this family's four estates have consistently won multiple awards. Fazenda Rainha's own record is impressive: 2nd place in 2000, 3rd place in 2001, and 29th place in 2005. To date, Fazenda Rainha has won awards three times. Yellow Bourbon beans are naturally sweet and clean; processed with the natural (or pulped natural) method, they develop a subtle acidity that integrates perfectly with sweetness, along with tropical fruit notes.

Estate Introduction

The Carvalho Dias family are also founding members of the Brazilian Specialty Coffee Association, and their commitment to coffee quality and environmental protection is evident. On their family farms, they harness natural waterfalls to generate pollution-free hydroelectric power, making them self-sufficient in electricity (another award-winning family estate is named after that waterfall). They have built churches, classrooms, nurseries, and medical stations, and they are committed to preserving native forest and continuous reforestation. Fazenda Rainha is a good example: because the terrain is high and uneven, mechanical harvesting is impossible, so every cherry is picked by hand, and the estate cultivates low-yield, high-quality Bourbon varieties. That combination makes it a representative estate of Brazil's premium coffee.

Product Information

Brand: FrontStreet Coffee

Address: No. 10, Bao'an Front Street, Yandun Road, Dongshankou, Guangzhou

Contact: 020-38364473

Shelf Life: 90 days

Net Weight: 227g

Packaging: Bulk

Bean State: Roasted coffee beans

Sugar Content: Sugar-free

Origin: Brazil

Roast Level: Medium roast

Brazil Fazenda Rainha COE Natural Yellow Bourbon

Country: Brazil

Grade: COE

Region: Mogiana (Fazenda Rainha)

Located in the high-altitude region near the Minas border in São Paulo state, at elevations from 1,200 to 1,400 meters, the estate enjoys over 1,800mm of rain annually without excessive downpours. With an average annual temperature of only 19°C, coffee cherries grow slowly, producing dense beans. Although production volume is lower, the aromatic quality far surpasses typical Brazilian highland coffees. The estate grows mainly Bourbon varieties, including some Bourbon trees over 110 years old.

Product Name: FrontStreet Coffee Brazil Fazenda Rainha Natural Yellow Bourbon

Roast Level: Medium roast

Processing Method: Natural

Variety: Yellow Bourbon

Estate: Fazenda Rainha

Flavor: Lemon, sugarcane, black tea, smooth and refined

Fazenda Rainha's Coffee Processing System

Mature coffee cherries are hand-picked into cloth bags to avoid contact with the ground. Cherries harvested on the same day always reach the estate's processing facility the same day for pulped natural processing. Hand-picking and cloth-bag collection after harvest avoid earthy flavors and any improper fermentation. When the cherries arrive at the facility, they are immediately "washed": the fruit is cleaned and unqualified or dried fruits (bóia beans) are screened out by bean size. Qualified beans move on to the depulping stage (using a pulper machine).

After depulping, some mucilage still clings to the parchment. These beans are placed on patios to dry until the moisture content drops to around 20%. This stage lets the beans absorb their own starch components without the risk of the uncontrollable drying-process flavors found in fully natural processing. Those residual mucilage starches provide a special sweetness without turning into off-fruit or musty flavors.

Afterwards, the beans go to drying machines for final drying, reducing moisture content to 11%, then to storage for resting. Before export they are hulled and graded. This segmented pulped natural processing is one of the main reasons for the stable flavor of FrontStreet Coffee's Brazil Fazenda Rainha. Of course, insisting on Bourbon varieties is the other reason for its excellent reputation.

Technical Specifications

Altitude: 1400 - 1950m

Processing Method: Pulped Natural

FrontStreet Coffee's estate-grade Yellow Bourbon from Brazil Fazenda Rainha features a full, mature sweetness with rich fruit notes and a persistent aftertaste that earns unanimous praise. Whether brewed in an American coffee maker or used as the main sweet component in an espresso blend, professional experts are satisfied and list it as an essential purchase.

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CERRADO

"Cerrado" means tropical savanna. Although the term usually refers to the whole savanna stretching across many countries in Brazil, in coffee terminology it specifically means the Cerrado region in western Minas Gerais state. This is a relatively new coffee-producing area, which may explain why it is dominated by large, mechanized farms. In fact, 90% of farms in this region exceed 10 hectares (24 acres).

Altitude: 850-1,250m (2,800-4,100ft)

Harvest: May to September

BAHIA

Bahia (BAHIA) in eastern Brazil is the country's northernmost coffee-growing region. In recent years more and more interesting coffees have emerged from this region, drawing attention. In the 2009 Cup of Excellence competition, five of the top ten winners came from Bahia (BAHIA).

FrontStreet Coffee · Brazil Mogiana Region COE Champion Estate Fazenda Rainha 100% Yellow Bourbon Pulped Natural

Brazil Fazenda Rainha Yellow Bourbon Pulped Natural

Flavor Description

The green beans have slight orange peel and spice notes. When ground, they release rich aromas of roasted hazelnuts, cinnamon, and sweet pumpkin pie. On entry, delicate citrus acidity, plum, guava, and fresh sugarcane juice sweetness emerge. The mid-section reveals flavors like freshly cut vanilla pods, black tea, and unsalted butter. Overall, the flavor combines complexity with a persistent aftertaste and aroma, with a smooth, refined consistency.

Region: Mogiana

Producer: Fazenda Rainha

Processing: Pulped Natural (PN)

Altitude: meters

Variety: Yellow Bourbon

Fazenda Rainha Award Records:

2014 COE 13th Place

2013 COE 2nd Place

2012 COE 8th Place

2011 COE Champion

2010 COE 20th Place

2009 COE 6th Place

2008 COE 14th Place

The Carvalho Dias family, founding members of the Brazilian Specialty Coffee Association, has operated Fazenda Rainha since 1890. The estate owner's nephew, Gabriel de Carvalho Dias, now handles management and operations.

The estate is near Minas Gerais, with high terrain and rugged slopes. Owing to those geographical limits, mechanical cultivation and harvesting are impossible, so planting and picking are done entirely by hand. The altitude ranges from 1,100 to 1,500 meters, with average annual rainfall of 1,800-2,000mm and an average annual temperature of around 19°C - ideal conditions for coffee cultivation.

The green beans are solid with excellent flavor expression. Careful control of every step from cultivation, care, and harvesting through post-processing ensures Fazenda Rainha puts full effort into producing exceptional green coffee.

Under the management of Regina Helena Mello de Carvalho Dias and family members, the estate maintains excellent quality and a distinctive flavor, making it a consistent winner in Brazil's COE cupping competitions, with notable results in 2000, 2001, and 2005. In 2011, it earned the honor of Brazil COE Champion.

Brazil

Population: 201,033,000

Brazil cultivates many different coffee varieties, many of which were developed and evolved domestically, such as Yellow Bourbon, Caturra, and Catuai.

SUL DE MINAS

Historically, this region was the birthplace of large-scale coffee production in Brazil, and many generations of small farmers live here. Perhaps for that reason, there are more cooperatives in the area. Although mostly small farms, it remains a well-industrialized region with mechanical harvesting. Recently, certain areas have drawn more attention, such as Carmo de Minas, around the village of Carmo, where producers use soil and climate to cultivate coffee.

Altitude: 700-1,350m (2,300-4,400ft)

Harvest: May to September

Roasting Guidelines

Everyone's taste preferences vary, so consider buying small quantities to try different roast levels.

End of first crack - lighter roast

First crack finished - medium roast

Between first and second crack - medium-dark roast

Beginning of second crack - dark roast

10-15 seconds into second crack - very dark roast

Dense second crack - darkest roast

We hope every roasting expert can find their preferred flavor profile.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

For Brazil's flagship yellow bourbon experience, FrontStreet Coffee's Fazenda Rainha (Queen Estate) Yellow Bourbon is the one to try. Pulped natural processed and medium roasted, it shows lemon, sugarcane, and black tea notes with a smooth, refined body, and the estate's long COE record - including a 2011 Brazil COE championship - speaks to its consistency.

If you prefer a more approachable daily cup, choose FrontStreet Coffee's Brazil Cerrado Half-Natural Red Bourbon: medium roasted, low in acidity, with cream-peanut, toast, caramel, and hazelnut aromas and a round, balanced body that suits pour-over and espresso alike.