Flavor Description, Taste, Processing Method, Variety, and Grind Setting of Brazil South Minas Coffee Beans

FrontStreet Coffee · Flavor Description, Taste, Processing Method, Varieties, and Grinding Settings for Brazilian South Minas Coffee Beans

Brazilian Coffee Processing Methods

Brazilian research institutions developed the pulped natural processing method to shorten processing time, adapting to Brazil's relatively dry climate. After the coffee cherries are pulped, the beans still covered in mucilage are dried in the sun for one to three days, then machine-dried to 12% moisture content before being placed in storage containers. This Brazilian pulped natural method significantly reduces processing time (compared to the traditional 2-3 weeks for natural processing) and lowers the risk of coffee beans absorbing unwanted odors, greatly improving quality. Moreover, the pulped natural method inherits the sweetness-enhancing benefits of natural processing while reducing undesirable earthy flavors, enhancing fruit notes and sweetness—making it ideal for single-origin coffee. The pulped natural method has thus become essential equipment for Brazilian specialty beans, earning praise from international coffee experts. The success of these reforms has increased the confidence of coffee farm operators, who now choose between natural, pulped natural, washed, semi-washed, or the increasingly popular honey processing methods based on local climate conditions to best express regional flavors. For example, the extremely low humidity region of Cerrado Mineiro in central-west Minas still primarily uses natural processing. Farms here believe that with strict control, natural processing best expresses Cerrado's unique nutty flavors and sweetness, making pulped natural processing secondary in this region. South Minas farms, however, are most inclusive, employing pulped natural, natural, and washed methods respectively. Brazil's diversity in processing methods is rare worldwide, second only to coffee's birthplace, Ethiopia.

South Minas: Brazil's Specialty Coffee Heartland

Since 1999, South Minas has had the most winning farms in Brazil's "Cup of Excellence" auction, making it the backbone of Brazilian specialty coffee. In contrast, the Chapada de Minas region in north-central Minas is not considered a specialty producing area, with most beans being for general commercial use. In summary, South Minas, the Cerrado Mineiro plateau in central-west Minas, and the higher-altitude forest areas in southeastern Minas are all considered specialty producing regions in Minas state.

Santos: Bourbon's Legacy

Santos is a descendant of the Bourbon variety, named after the Santos port from which it was exported. During the first three to four years of fruit production, these coffee trees produce small, curved beans with exceptional flavor, known as "Bourbon Santos." Later, the beans become larger, flatter, and no longer curved, becoming "Flat Bean Santos" with significantly diminished flavor compared to their predecessors. In Taiwan, Brazilian coffee is widely available, though mostly as Flat Bean Santos. However, Brazil still produces high-quality coffee beans sold under their own names rather than generically as "Brazilian Coffee." Some farms still preserve old Bourbon varieties, with very small, noticeably curved green beans featuring red central lines, earning them the nickname "red center." Bourbon coffee offers full-bodied flavor, rich aromatics, and an experience reminiscent of aged fine wine—truly worth trying.

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