Brazil AA Champion | What are the flavor characteristics of Bahia's Green Gold Estate Pulped Natural Catuai?

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Brazil AA Champion | What are the flavors of the Catuaí from Fazenda Ouro Verde in Bahia, processed with the pulped natural method?

Bahia is one of Brazil's 26 states, located in the northeastern part of the country, with its own export port due to its coastline. In the central high-altitude region of Bahia, there is a very famous plateau called Chapada Diamantina, which is precisely the small production area where Bahia's specialty coffee originates. The terrain features rugged mountains and plateaus, with countless beautiful waterfalls and natural lakes, forming the sources of many rivers. Due to its diverse topography and unique microclimates, beautiful, diverse, outstanding, and captivating coffee is grown here.

Main Production Regions:

• Minas Gerais - Southern Brazil, further divided into sub-regions: Sul de Minas, Cerrado, Chapada de Minas, and Matas de Minas
• Espirito Santo - Primarily produces Conilon beans, with fewer specialty varieties
• São Paulo - Home to the Port of Santos, where 2/3 of Brazil's coffee beans are exported
• Bahia
• Paraná
• Rondônia

Bahia State:

Located in northeastern Brazil, it's further divided into sub-regions: Planalto da Bahia and Cerrado da Bahia. Portuguese explorers discovered this area as early as 1500, and Salvador became Brazil's first capital, serving as a political, administrative, and religious center, playing a significant role in Brazil's history. In 1822, when Brazil declared independence, Bahia was still occupied by Portugal and only returned to Brazilian control several years later. Even today in the 21st century, Bahia continues to protest against the Brazilian government, believing that Bahia needs more autonomous political rights, leading to ongoing resistance. Bahia's industry has also developed rapidly, with a significant proportion of heavy industry. Industrial development was most prevalent in the 1970s, and the Bahia state government promoted vertical integration across upstream, midstream, and downstream industries to increase employment rates, making it one of Brazil's important industrial and agricultural centers.

The Cup of Excellence (COE) is divided into Natural and Pulped Natural categories, with the Natural category only starting in 2012. The Pulped Natural method remains the primary approach, as Brazil originally became famous for this processing method.

Fazenda Ouro Verde (Green Gold Farm)

As a Cup of Excellence champion coffee farm, after winning the championship in 2009, it has continued its high-quality cultivation, winning COE championships in 2014, 2015, and 2016. The award-winning coffee beans all feature rich sweetness, blooming floral aromas, smooth oily texture, and pure fruit fragrance, with the South American chocolate aftertaste being particularly well-executed. From the 1980s to today, over thirty years, the farm's father-son ownership has transformed the estate into the pride of Bahia. On the day they won the award, all Bahia coffee farmers were excited and overjoyed!

Coffee Details:

• Region: Bahia
• Farm: Fazenda Ouro Verde (Green Gold Farm)
• Variety: Catuaí
• Processing Method: Pulped Natural
• Altitude: 1,280 meters

Special Characteristics: Fazenda Ouro Verde is located in the excellent core area of Chapada Diamantina, at an altitude of nearly 1,300 meters. As temperatures typically range between 2°C-17°C, coffee beans grow more slowly. Some beans may not be large in size, but their flavor is exceptional, with high overall balance that is truly remarkable.

Cupping Notes: The dry aroma carries dried berries and vanilla, while the wet aroma reveals subtle floral notes and apricot. Upon sipping, the mouthfeel is round and smooth, with complex and varied fruit acidity mixed with delicate floral aromas. The smooth oily texture is comfortable and lubricating, with rich natural fruit sweetness that remains clean and delicate. The aftertaste features stone fruit aromas and subtle chocolate notes, demonstrating remarkable balance and complete layers, with a persistent sweet finish.

FrontStreet Coffee's Recommended Brewing Method:

• Dripper: Hario V60
• Water Temperature: 90°C
• Grind Size: Fuji Royal grinder setting 3.5
• Brewing Technique: Using a 1:15 water-to-coffee ratio, with 15g of coffee. First pour 25g of water and let it bloom for 25 seconds. Second, pour up to 120g of water, then stop pouring. Wait until the water level in the coffee bed drops to half, then continue pouring slowly until reaching 225g total. Extraction time should be around 2:00 minutes.

Analysis: Using a three-stage brewing method to clearly distinguish the front, middle, and back-end flavors of the coffee. Because the V60 has many ribs and drains water quickly, stopping the pour can extend the extraction time.

Important Notice :

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