Brazil South Minas Region | Lambary Estate | Natural Process Bourbon, Catuai, Acaia Flavor Notes

Brazil South Minas Region | Lambari Estate | Natural Bourbon, Catuai, Acaia Flavor Profile

Brazil is currently the world's largest coffee producer, with a total output of 48.095 million bags, more than one-third of global production. The Brazil Specialty Coffee Association (BSCA) works to improve the quality of Brazilian coffee, both internationally, by promoting Brazil's fine coffee and helping farmers meet the quality requirements of the specialty market, and domestically, by helping farmers steadily improve their agricultural practices and social welfare.

Coffee was first introduced to Brazil in the early 18th century. Today, two million hectares of land are used for coffee cultivation, with main regions including Sul de Minas, Matas de Minas, Cerrado, Chapadas de Minas, Mogiana, Parana, and Bahia. Both traditional and improved cultivars are grown, such as Bourbon, Mundo Novo, Icatu, Catuai, Iapar, and cultivated Catuai. These beans were once mostly wet-processed, but natural drying and pulped natural methods are increasingly used, all aiming to present the diverse characteristics of the beans. Larger estates use each processing method, and harvest times vary across Brazil. Coffee imported directly from Brazil typically ships between October and April of the following year.

Property Characteristics

Farm: Fazenda Lambari (Lambari Estate)

Farmer: Rebetez and Mariani Family

City: Pocos de Caldas

Region: Sul de Minas Gerais (South Minas)

Country: Brazil

Farm Size: 600 hectares

Coffee Growing Area: 500 hectares

Altitude: 1,000 meters

Annual Precipitation: 2,000 mm

Annual Production: 160 bags of green coffee beans

Certification: BSCA (Brazil Specialty Coffee Association)

Coffee Characteristics

Variety: Bourbon, Catuai, Acaia

Processing System: natural (sun-dried)

Appearance: 16-17 screen

Top Jury Descriptions: cupping roast level begins 60 seconds after first crack (cinnamon roast)

Aroma/Flavor: raisin, banana, apple, peach, strawberry, cherry blossom, cocoa, caramel, peanut butter, chocolate, honey

Acidity Complexity: soft fruit acidity, citrus acidity, red plum, minty acidity, tropical fruit acidity, gentle and elegant, a rustic countryside flavor

Complexity and Other: a single sweet sensation, low complexity, an excellent smooth, creamy texture, finishing with fruit sweetness and a cool mint that persists

Overall Style Attributes: medium intensity, sweet, clean. Lambari Estate features the remarkable Acaia variety, a unique emerging cultivar specific to South Minas. It is a very rare and distinctive variety, and the fresh fruit at the front end and cherry blossom fragrance at the finish particularly appeal to me. These are excellent beans from the latest production in October 2011.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommended Brewing

Dripper: Hario V60

Water Temperature: 90 degrees Celsius

Grind Size: Fuji Royal grinder setting 3.5

Brewing Method: water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, 15g of coffee grounds. First pour 25g of water and bloom for 25 seconds. Second pour to 120g, then pause. Wait until the water level drops to half the coffee bed, then continue pouring slowly to a total of 225g. Extraction time approximately 2:00.

Analysis: the three-stage method clearly separates the front, middle, and back-end flavors. Because the V60 has many ribs and drains faster, pausing during the pour extends the extraction time for a sun-dried coffee.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

For a classic Brazilian single origin, try FrontStreet Brazil Cerrado Red Bourbon. Cerrado is a well-known region for high-quality beans, and this red Bourbon from South America delivers creamy peanut, toasted bread, caramel, and hazelnut aromas under a medium roast, with a rounded body, low acidity, and a light bitterness. It works as a pour-over, and also in a moka pot, an espresso SOE, a siphon, or a French press.

For a rarer variety, choose FrontStreet Brazil Queen Estate Yellow Bourbon, grown in Mogiana near South Minas on fertile red volcanic soil. Yellow Bourbon is a natural mutation of Red Bourbon, giving a cleaner fruit character than most Brazilian beans, with a sugarcane sweetness, fruit, and chocolate that other origins rarely show.

Brazil's low acidity, balance, and approachable price make it the backbone of FrontStreet's espresso blends. Classic Blend brings a rich crema and a nut-forward profile, Specialty Blend and Black Cocoa Blend lean into chocolate and cream with balanced sweet-sour-bitter, and Commercial Blend is built for cafes. Brew any of them at a 1:15 ratio and 90 degrees Celsius, or pull them as espresso at 20g in to 40g out.