85.67
There is something very special about Fazenda Monte Verde. The topography is dramatic and the contours of the mountains are photogenic. The coffee there is extremely healthy, and because of the large basin shape of the farm and the 4 major aspects (North facing, South facing, East facing and West Facing), the farm offers several different ripening stages and qualities. Some of the coffees are more acidic and sweeter, but show an even better body than some of the other coffees from the Carmo region. Other coffees from the farm have a more common Brazilian profile.
The three sections of the farm that tend to be award winning all come from the South West corner of the farm called Santa Barabara, Paivas and Sardiha. The sections there are mostly Yellow Bourbón or Mundo Novo. They all tend to be over 1100 meters. Aside from the breath taking views, the coffees are delicious.
There are four ways to get to Fazenda Monte Verde. Almost all of them require 4x4 to arrive to the farm. On the map it sits about 20 km from the nearest road in any direction. The main house of the farm is located 26 km from the city of Carmo de Minas. The mayor of Carmo tells us that it is the furthest farm that is still considered in Carmo de Minas City.
FAL Holdings purchased the farm in January of 2014. This is our second harvest with the farm and we are extremely excited to be classified in the Cup of Excellence Naturals Competition. The last two years of extreme drought have caused a lot of stress on the plants and for some reason the coffees in the Carmo region have not done as well as Pulped Naturals, which is a nice way of saying the Pulped Natural coffees aren’t quite as sweet as they were in 2013 and before. However, the Naturals have been fantastic if not even better. This move from Pulped Natural quality to Natural quality leaves almost everyone scratching their heads.
Quality aside, Fazenda Monte Verde is extremely special because of the people that live there. Many of the workers were born and raised on the farm. They wake up early and work earnestly. They are amazingly hospitable with guests. If you have the chance to visit our farm you will see that they go to extreme lengths when serving you lunch, making you coffee roasted on the farm and asking you to take a second or third helping of lunch. This incredible hospitality and attention to detail transfers to their daily work and is truly what leads to quality in the cup.
As a multi-national company we have been trying to improve the lives of the staff on the farm. We have made improvements to the houses (tiling the bathrooms, for example) and are supporting several staff to get their driver’s licenses through a system we call “Up Skilling”.
This coffee is a natural process. For us on Fazenda Monte Verde, natural process means that the coffee started to dry on the tree, floated in our separation tank and then hit the patio. For the natural process coffee, we leave the coffee bed rather thick but turn it often. The dark skin of the cherry absorbs a lot of the sunlight and the uncovered patio has a constant gentle wind wafting over the cherries. After about two days, they will have lost some of that initial moisture. The coffee is transferred into a mechanical drier for 5 days. Our mechanical drying tends to be low and slow. At a moisture reading of 11.3%, the coffee is removed and rested before hulling.
This specific lot came from two days picking on the section of the farm we call Santa Barbara. It is a large relatively level area of the farm with altitudes between 1200 and 1260 meters. The soil there turns white as you move East over the section.
| Rank | 31a |
|---|---|
| Farm Name | Fazenda Monte Verde |
| Farmer/Rep. | Fal Holdings Participações |
| Country | Brazil Naturals |
| Year | 2015 |
| Size (30kg boxes) | 22 |
| City | Carmo de Minas |
| Region | Minas Gerais |
| Program | Brazil Naturals 2015 December |
| Month | December |
| Aroma/Flavor | Walnut, mint, herby, toasty, peach, lime, dark chocolate, nutty, vanilla, hazelnut |
| Acidity | Tartaric, citric, bright, refined |
| Other | Silky, creamy, soft, smooth |
| Farm Size | - |
| Auction Lot Size (lbs.) | 1455 |
| High bid | 4.00 |
| Total value | 5820.2 |
| High bidders | Nobletree Coffee |