Brazil Fazenda Rainha Single Origin Varieties, Brand Recommendations and Estate Introduction

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Fazenda Rainha Single Origin Bean Varieties, Brand Recommendations and Estate Introduction

As a founding member of the Brazilian Specialty Coffee Association, the Carvalho Dias family has run Fazenda Rainha since 1890.

The estate owner's nephew, Gabriel de Carvalho Dias, now oversees its management and operation.

The estate sits near Minas Gerais, on high, undulating slopes. The geography rules out mechanical cultivation and harvesting, so planting and picking are done entirely by hand.

It lies at an altitude between 1,100 and 1,500 meters, with average annual rainfall of 1,800 to 2,000 millimeters and an average annual temperature around 19 degrees Celsius — ideal conditions for coffee.

The green beans have a dense texture and excellent flavor expression. From planting, care, and harvesting to post-processing, Fazenda Rainha carefully controls every step and puts its full effort into producing high-quality green beans.

Under the management of Regina Helena Mello de Carvalho Dias and her family, that care sustains outstanding quality and a distinctive flavor profile, making the estate a regular winner in Brazil's Cup of Excellence (COE) cupping competitions — placing on the list in 2000, 2001, and 2005.

In 2011 it took the honor of Brazilian COE champion.

Brazil

Population: 201,033,000

Brazil cultivates many different coffee varieties, several of which were bred and evolved within the country, 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 still work here. Perhaps for that reason there are more cooperatives in the region. Despite being mostly small farms, it remains well industrialized and has adopted mechanical harvesting. Recently, certain areas have drawn more attention, such as Carmo de Minas, around the village of Carmo, where producers work with the soil and climate to cultivate coffee.

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

Harvest: May to September

CERRADO

"Cerrado" means tropical savanna. Although the word usually denotes the entire savanna stretching across many Brazilian states, in coffee terminology it refers specifically to the Cerrado region of western Minas Gerais. This is a newer coffee-production area, which may explain why large, mechanized farms dominate: ninety percent of farms here exceed 10 hectares (24 acres).

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

Harvest: May to September

BAHIA

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

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

Roast Level Guidelines:

• Drop at the beginning of first crack

• Drop at the end of first crack

• Drop between first and second crack

• Drop at the onset of second crack

• Drop 10-15 seconds into second crack

• Drop during intense second crack

May every roasting master find the flavor they are looking for.

Yellow Bourbon beans are naturally sweet and clean. Pulped natural (or semi-washed) processing makes their acidity slightly bright while keeping a tropical fruit aroma, and the abundant aroma during brewing is a particular delight.

Fazenda Rainha belongs to the Carvalho Dias family and has been in operation for over 116 years. It sits in the high mountain region of São Paulo state near the Minas border, at 1,200 to 1,400 meters. Annual rainfall is abundant, exceeding 1,800 mm without causing devastating floods, and the average annual temperature is only 19°C, which slows the fruit's growth slightly while producing a dense bean. Although production volume is smaller, the aroma and flavor are unmatched by typical Brazilian highland beans. The estate grows mainly Bourbon varieties, including some trees over 110 years old. Alongside those varieties, Fazenda Rainha's meticulous processing is another key to its quality.

Fazenda Rainha (Queen Farm)

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 Method: Hand-picked, then pulped natural

Harvest Period: Latest harvest arriving May 2006

Mogiana (Fazenda Rainha) Coffee Bean Details

Origin: Brazil Fazenda Rainha (Mogiana region)

Variety: Yellow Bourbon

Related Knowledge:

The Cup of Excellence (COE) program and trademark are currently owned and managed by the Alliance for Coffee Excellence (ACE), a non-profit organization. ACE works each year with COE host countries to run specialty coffee cupping selection and online auctions, and to recommend and promote anything related to improving coffee quality. The goal is to select exemplary specialty coffees in host countries and to share experience for the industry to learn from.

Flavor: Naturally sweet, clean beans. Pulped natural processing makes the acidity slightly bright yet well integrated with sweetness, with some lots even showing tropical fruit notes; the abundant aroma during brewing is a particular delight. Expect delicate lemon acidity, the fresh sweetness of sugarcane juice, black tea, and a smooth, refined mouthfeel.

Hand-pour brewing of Brazil Fazenda Rainha: 15 g of coffee, medium grind (Fuji Royal ghost-tooth grinder, setting #4), V60 dripper, water at 88–89°C. First pour 30 g of water for a 27-second bloom, then pour to 105 g and pause. When the level drops halfway, continue pouring slowly to 225 g. Avoid the tail end. Ratio 1:15, extraction time 2:00.

Fazenda Rainha (Queen Farm) lies 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, taking more than 12 awards over seven years. In 2004 they even swept the championship, 9th place, 11th place, and more. Among Brazil's countless estates, many have hoped to qualify for an award over the years and found it difficult; this family's estates have won multiple awards year after year. Fazenda Rainha's own record is impressive: 2nd place in 2000, 3rd place in 2001, and 29th place in 2005. To date it has won awards three times. Yellow Bourbon beans are naturally sweet and clean, and natural (or pulped natural) processing makes their acidity subtle while integrating beautifully with sweetness, with tropical fruit notes.

Estate Introduction:

This Fazenda Rainha belongs to the renowned and respected Carvalho Dias coffee family. The family's four major estates have won awards every year since the first Brazil COE competition in 1999, taking more than 12 awards over seven years. In 2004 they swept the championship, 9th place, 11th place, and more. Among Brazil's countless large and small estates, many have hoped to qualify for awards over the years and found it difficult, yet this family's estates have consistently won multiple awards year after year. Even this Fazenda Rainha boasts an impressive record: 2nd place in 2000, 3rd place in 2001, and 29th place in 2005. To date it has won awards three times.

The Carvalho Dias family is also a founding member of the Brazilian Specialty Coffee Association, a visible commitment to coffee quality and environmental protection. On their family farms they harness natural waterfalls to generate pollution-free hydroelectric power, meeting their electricity needs self-sufficiently (another of the family's award-winning estates is named after this waterfall — Waterfall Estate). They have built churches, classrooms, nurseries, and medical stations, insist on preserving the original native forest and wildlife, and continue reforestation efforts. Fazenda Rainha is a case in point: environmental protection is thorough. Because the terrain is high and uneven, mechanical harvesting is impossible — all fruit is picked entirely by hand. They cultivate low-yield, high-quality Bourbon varieties, embodying the essence of premium Brazilian coffee.

Product Information

Brand: FrontStreet Coffee

Address: No. 10 Bao'an Qianjie, 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 mountain region of São Paulo state near the Minas border, at 1,200 to 1,400 meters, with abundant annual rainfall exceeding 1,800 mm but no devastating floods. The average annual temperature is only 19°C, slowing the fruit's growth slightly while producing a dense bean. Though production volume is smaller, the aroma and flavor are unmatched by typical Brazilian highland beans. The estate grows mainly Bourbon varieties, including some trees over 110 years old.

Roast Level: Medium roast

Processing Method: Natural

Variety: Yellow Bourbon

Estate: Fazenda Rainha

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

Fazenda Rainha's Depulping System (Coffee Processing System):

Ripe cherries are hand-picked into cloth bags to avoid contact with the ground. Coffee harvested on any given day always goes to the estate's processing facility that same day for pulped natural processing. Hand-picking and cloth bags for collection avoid earthy flavors and any improper fermentation. When the cherries reach the facility, they are immediately "washed": cleaned thoroughly, with substandard or dried fruit (bóia beans) screened out by size. Qualified beans then pass to the depulping stage (using a pulper).

After depulping, some mucilage still clings to the parchment. At this stage the beans are laid on patios to dry until moisture content falls to around 20%. This lets the beans absorb their own starch components while avoiding the uncontrolled flavor development of full natural processing. Those residual mucilage starches provide a special sweetness without running away into off-fruit or musty notes.

The beans are then sent to drying machines for final drying to a moisture content of 11%, then moved to storage for resting. Before export they are hulled and graded. This staged pulped natural method is one of the main reasons for Fazenda Rainha's stable flavor. Of course, insisting on Bourbon varieties is another reason for its excellent reputation.

Altitude: 1400-1950m

Processing Method: Pulped natural

From Brazil's Fazenda Rainha, estate-grade Yellow Bourbon with full, mature sweetness and rich fruit notes plus a lingering aftertaste that draws constant praise. Whether brewed as single-origin in an American-style coffee maker or used as the main sweet component in espresso blends, it satisfies professional experts, who consider it an essential purchase for their bean list.

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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 carry subtle orange peel and spice notes. When ground, they release rich aromas of roasted hazelnut, cinnamon, and sweet pumpkin pie. On entry there is delicate lemon acidity, plum, guava, and the fresh sweetness of sugarcane juice. The mid-section recalls freshly cut vanilla pods, black tea, and unsalted butter. The overall profile combines complexity with a persistent aromatic finish and a smooth, refined, consistent mouthfeel.

Region: Mogiana

Producer: Fazenda Rainha (Queen Farm)

Processing Method: Pulped Natural (PN)

Altitude: 1,200-1,400 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

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If Fazenda Rainha's pulped natural style appeals to you, FrontStreet Coffee offers an even easier, more everyday way into Brazilian coffee: the Brazil Cerrado Red Bourbon. Cerrado is a well-known growing area prized for high-quality beans, and this lot is the classic Brazilian single origin. A common red Bourbon roasted to a medium level, it shows rich aromas of creamy peanut, toasted bread, caramel, and hazelnut, with a rounded cup, no acidity, and a light bittersweet finish. It handles pour-over as easily as a moka pot, an espresso SOE, a siphon, or a French press.

For the rare yellow Bourbon that put Fazenda Rainha on the map, look to FrontStreet Coffee's Brazil Queen Estate Yellow Bourbon. It comes from Mogiana, near South Minas, where fertile red volcanic soil lets the cherries draw in abundant nutrients and build a full aroma. The area mixes farms that hold to traditional practice with others that have adopted modern, standardized management, which has greatly lifted local quality. A yellow Bourbon — a red Bourbon mutation with a cleaner fruit character — it delivers a sugarcane freshness that other origins do not have, alongside fruit and chocolate notes, whether you brew it as pour-over, in a moka pot, or on a home espresso machine.

Low acidity, balance, and an approachable price also make Brazilian coffee the first choice in many specialty espresso recipes. FrontStreet Coffee's Classic Blend with its rich crema, the densely nutty Premium Blend, the balanced Black Cocoa Blend, and the shop-focused Commercial Blend all contain Brazilian beans, which contribute chocolate and cream aromas and a soft sweet-sour-bitter balance that favors stable extraction.