Brazil's Cerrado Coffee - Wonderful Creamy Nutty Chocolate Flavor Profile

FrontStreet Coffee - Brazil Cerrado Coffee

Brazil is known as the "Coffee Country." It is the world's largest coffee producer and the second-largest coffee consumer. Brazilian coffee varieties are numerous, and the vast majority are unprocessed and sun-dried. They are classified according to their state of origin and shipping port.

Brazil has 21 states, 17 of which produce coffee. Four states account for the largest share: Minas Gerais, Sao Paulo, Bahia and Espirito Santo, together responsible for over 90% of the country's total exports. Within Minas Gerais, the Cerrado and Sul de Minas regions sit at higher altitudes and produce most of Brazil's premium specialty coffee.

Cerrado Region - A Surprise in the Wilderness

The original meaning of Cerrado is "wilderness." The region was not previously famous and was regarded as a desolate mountainous area. In recent years, with the rise of coffee, it has become synonymous with Brazilian specialty coffee beans. The story is similar to that of Yirgacheffe on the Ethiopian plateau, whose name originally described people settling and working peacefully on this wetland before it became famous for high-quality coffee.

The Cerrado coffee region refers to the area where the savanna extends into Minas Gerais at altitudes of 850-1,200 metres. Coffee here is mostly grown at around 1,000 metres, in fertile soil rich in minerals. Combined with a climate of four distinct seasons, the coffee cherries tend to ripen uniformly. This allows Cerrado to stand out among Brazil's many producing areas and makes it a prime choice for quality Brazilian beans.

Pulped Natural Processing Method

To produce high-quality coffee beans, Brazilians invented the pulped natural method. First, the cherries undergo flotation selection in water tanks, then large pulping machines remove the pulp. Next, without fermentation, the beans are dried directly outdoors still wrapped in parchment. After about a day the parchment hardens, and after two to three days the ideal dehydration level is reached. Drying machines then finish the job until moisture drops below 12%.

Because some parchment remains after pulping, the sugar from the parchment slowly permeates into the bean during drying, raising the sugar content of the coffee. Combined with the regional character of Cerrado, the cup presents a harmonious blend of creamy nuts and chocolate. It also carries the sweetness of a natural processed bean, lower acidity, good viscosity and a smooth mouthfeel.

In Brazil, coffee processing is predominantly natural, with high volume but often low quality, which makes it common on the international market. The pulped natural method was invented by Brazilians and suits local beans particularly well, significantly improving coffee quality. Cerrado is a representative example of this approach.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If the creamy, nutty, chocolate profile of Cerrado is what you look for, FrontStreet Coffee's washed Ethiopia Yirgacheffe offers the bright counterpart. It is the classic introduction to the Ethiopian terroir, known for white jasmine, a bright citrus and lemon acidity and a tea-like body, and it remains the first specialty coffee for many drinkers thanks to its accessible price.

Yirgacheffe is a town in the Sidama zone of southern Ethiopia at around 1,700-2,100 metres, where coffee trees are planted above 1,800 metres, making it one of the highest coffee regions in the world. In 2010 its reputation grew so large that the Ethiopia Commodity Exchange separated it from Sidama, and the name Yirgacheffe became a byword for Ethiopian specialty coffee. For a fruitier expression, FrontStreet Coffee's Red Cherry is a fully ripe, whole-cherry natural from the same region, with tropical fruit, berry juice, honey sweetness and a creamy texture.

FrontStreet Coffee suggests a V60 dripper, 90-91C water, 15g of coffee and a 1:15 ratio, ground to a fine-sugar texture (80% passing a No. 20 sieve). Bloom with 30g of water for 30 seconds, pour 95g to reach about 125g over roughly one minute, then add the remaining 100g to about 225g over about 1 minute 35 seconds. Drawdown finishes between 2:00 and 2:10.