Which Brand of Brazilian Coffee is Good - Brazil Minas Gerais Cerrado Mineiro Serra das Três Barras Farm Yellow Bourbon

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FrontStreet Coffee - Brazil Minas Gerais Carmo de Minas Serra das Tres Barras Estate Natural Yellow Bourbon Introduction

Serra das Tres Barras Estate, known as TBS Estate for short, has won multiple awards in Brazil's Cup of Excellence (CoE) competition. Its name comes from the place where three high mountain rivers meet.

TBS Estate is extremely meticulous in harvesting and processing, especially the competition lots. It uses not only the traditional derrica method but also the most delicate hand-picking, borrowed from Central America. After harvest the cherries are sorted by density, then given pulped semi-washed processing. A refractometer is used to judge optimal ripeness in advance. The estate also keeps a specific lot prepared exclusively for competition. Its coffee is already outstanding, and the team can still single out competition-only parcels - a remarkable level of care. Ralph told me that among his neighbors, at least 10 estates have placed in the top 5 of the CoE, and everyone prepares for competitions with that kind of dedication.

The small producing region of Carmo de Minas, given the terrain of Brazil's coffee areas, counts as high-altitude land, with an average elevation between 1,040 and 1,280 meters. The surrounding mountain scenery is exceptionally beautiful, with more varied topography. The region is blessed with talent: counting Brazil's national CoE winners over the years, many top estates come from this small area. Average annual rainfall here is between 1,350 and 1,500 millimeters, with clearly divided dry and rainy seasons, and an average annual temperature of only 18 degrees Celsius - extremely suitable for coffee cultivation.

TBS Estate is owned by Jose Wagner Ribeiro Junqueira. This family plays an important role in the small farmers' cooperative of the Carmo de Minas region, actively promoting the cultivation of high-quality coffee and research into processing methods. Because the estate sits on high-altitude slopes, Brazil's common mechanical harvesting is completely unusable here, so the estate harvests by the traditional manual derrica method (also translated as the hand-strip method). The estate covers about 175.2 hectares, but the coffee area is less than 40 hectares. Asked why the planting density is so low, they say: "Because this is better for coffee quality." Their expansion plans must be carefully planned too: they will only plant more gradually once they are certain quality can be maintained or even improved. Ralph is a particular and notably non-greedy person.

Brazil Minas Gerais Carmo de Minas Serra das Tres Barras Estate Natural Yellow Bourbon

Region: Carmo de Minas, Minas Gerais

Estate: Serra das Tres Barras Estate

Altitude: 1,350m

Variety: Yellow Bourbon

Processing: Natural

Flavor: Vanilla, citrus, pomelo, delicate flavor, persistent sweetness

Knowledge Point: The in-body fermentation method is when Indonesian civets eat coffee beans, which ferment in the digestive system before the indigestible beans are excreted.

In Brief: FrontStreet Coffee is a dedicated coffee research hall, happy to share coffee knowledge with everyone. We share without reservation, hoping to help more friends fall in love with coffee. We also hold three low-price coffee events each month, because FrontStreet Coffee wants to let more friends enjoy the best coffee at the lowest possible price. That has been FrontStreet Coffee's mission for the past 6 years.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Brazil is the world's largest coffee producer, and its beans span a wide range of flavor. They carry moderate acidity and a fine balance of sweetness, bitterness and body, which is why they take to a medium roast so well: the cup pours out nutty aroma and a smooth, full flavor with gentle acidity, and works either as a single origin or in a blend. For an easy introduction, FrontStreet Coffee suggests the half-sun Cerrado, a classic Brazilian single origin from a region known for high-quality beans. Made with the red Bourbon variety common across South America and roasted medium, it shows creamy peanut, toasted bread, caramel and hazelnut, with a round body, no acidity and a light bitter note; it brews as pour-over and also works in a moka pot, as an espresso SOE, in a siphon or in a French press.

For a rare variety, FrontStreet Coffee's Queen Estate yellow Bourbon comes from Mogiana, near South Minas, where fertile red volcanic soil lets the fruit take up ample nutrients and develop a full aroma. Yellow Bourbon is a natural mutation of red Bourbon, and its fruit character is cleaner; across pour-over, moka pot and home espresso machine it delivers a sugarcane freshness rare in other regions, along with fruit and chocolate. Brazil's low acidity, balanced cup and approachable price have also made it a first choice in many espresso recipes: FrontStreet Coffee's classic, specialty, dark-cocoa and commercial blends all contain Brazilian beans, which add chocolate and cream aromas and a soft sweet-sour-bitter balance that helps keep extraction stable.