A balanced and moreish cup full of roasted almond and nougat paired with honey and vanilla notes.
Sítio Barra, located on the border between the municipalities of Poços de Caldas and Botelhos, and is managed by the Gonçalves family – Mr. José Edivaldo Gonçalves, his wife, and their three sons: Thiago, André and Felipe.
The coffee undergoes a washing process in a machine after being harvested to remove any impurities and floaters. Natural coffee is then sun-dried for an average of 5 days on cement patios, with the beans turned 8 to 10 times per day. Afterwards, the drying process is completed in mechanical dryers. Pulped Natural lots are dried on the cement patios for 2 days, with 5 turns per day, before being finished in mechanical dryers. The drying process in the patios starts with thin layers, which are gradually built up to ensure uniform drying.
Each son has a distinct role on the farm. Thiago, the oldest, manages the coffee processing, André takes care of the crops and harvest, and Felipe oversees the processing and administration of the drying patios. Although all three brothers work on the farm, Thiago holds a degree in Law and Felipe in Civil Engineering, both of whom initially wanted to pursue careers outside of coffee farming but ended up returning to the family business.
In 2011, the three brothers started a specialty coffee project, which was initially meant to acquire a pulping machine. After cupping some of their first batches, they were impressed by the excellent results and decided to fully focus on specialty coffee, attracted by the paid differential and better working conditions.
Since then, the farm has been dedicated to producing high-quality specialty coffee, and they continue to make new investments every year to improve their potential. The family's future plans include investing in suspended terraces and training courses in tasting and roasting to further enhance their understanding of the quality they produce.
- Country: Brazil
- Region: Poços de Caldas, Sul de Minas
- Producer(s): Jose Edivaldo Gonçalves
- Farm: Sitio Barra Altitude: 900-1200 masl
- Varietal: Catuai, Bourbon, Catucaí
- Processing: Natural