Flavor Description of Lambary Estate Coffee from Southern Minas Region, Brazil | Hand Pour Brazil Minas Coffee

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

Brazil is currently the world's largest coffee producer, with a total output of 48.095 million bags, accounting for over one-third of global production. The Brazil Specialty Coffee Association (BSCA) works to improve the quality of Brazilian coffee. Internationally, it helps promote Brazil's best coffees and assists farmers in meeting the quality standards the specialty market demands. Domestically, it helps farmers continually improve their agricultural practices and ensures better social welfare.

Coffee was first introduced to Brazil in the early 18th century. Today 2 million hectares are used for coffee cultivation. The main growing regions include Sul de Minas (South Minas), Matas de Minas (Southeastern Minas Forest Area), Cerrado, Chapadas de Minas (North-Central Minas Highlands), Mogiana, Paraná Province, and Bahia Province. Varieties range from traditional to modern cultivars, such as Bourbon, Mundo Novo, Icatú, Catuai, and Iapar. These beans were previously processed using the washed method, but increasingly more coffee is processed using natural drying and semi-washed methods, all aiming to showcase the diverse characteristics of different beans. Larger estates typically employ more than one method. Harvest times vary across Brazil's regions, and Brazilian beans typically ship between October and April of the following year.

Property Characteristics

Farm Name: Fazenda Lambari

Farmer: Rebetez and Mariani Family

City: Poços 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 millimeters

Annual Production: 160 bags of green coffee beans

Certification: BSCA (Brazil Specialty Coffee Association)

Coffee Characteristics

Variety: Bourbon, Catuai, Acaiá

Processing System: Natural

Appearance: 16-17 screen

Top Jury Descriptions: Cupping roast level at 60 seconds after first crack begins (Cinnamon roast)

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

Acidity Complexity: Gentle fruit acidity, citrus acidity, red plum, mint acidity, tropical fruit acidity, smooth and elegant, rustic country flavor

Complexity and Other: Single sweet sensation, low complexity, excellent smooth and creamy texture, finish with fruit sweetness and a cool mint note that lasts for some time

Overall Style Characteristics: Medium intensity, sweet, clean. Fazenda Lambari features the remarkable Acaiá variety, a unique emerging cultivar specific to South Minas and a very rare and distinctive variety. I particularly enjoy its fresh fruit front end and the cherry blossom aroma on the finish. These are excellent beans from the latest production in October 2011.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommended Brewing:

Dripper: Hario V60

Water Temperature: 90°C

Grind Size: Fuji Royal grinder setting 3.5

Brewing Method: Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, using 15g of coffee. First infusion with 25g of water for a 25-second bloom. Second infusion to 120g, then pause. Wait until the water level in the coffee bed drops to half, then continue pouring slowly until reaching 225g total. Extraction time approximately 2:00.

Analysis: A three-stage brewing method clearly defines the front, middle, and back-end flavors of the coffee. Because the V60 has many ribs and drains quickly, pausing during pouring can extend the extraction time for natural-processed coffee.

Related Recommendations:

Introduction to Brazil South Minas Coffee - Minas has become synonymous with Brazilian specialty coffee.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If Fazenda Lambari's natural-processed, fruit-forward style appeals to you, FrontStreet Coffee's Brazil Cerrado Red Bourbon is a fine place to start. A classic Brazilian single origin and a Red Bourbon from the well-known Cerrado region, it is roasted medium to draw out creamy peanut, toast, caramel, and hazelnut aromas with a round, low-acid body and a faint bitter edge. For a sweeter, more exotic expression of Brazil, the Queen Estate Yellow Bourbon comes from Mogiana, near South Minas, and its rare Yellow Bourbon variety carries more mucilage than ordinary Red Bourbon, yielding a clean sugarcane sweetness alongside fruit and chocolate. Both echo the natural-processed richness and gentle fruit acidity that make beans like Fazenda Lambari so appealing.