About Decaf - Brazil Moreninha Formosa

This is the same Brazil Moreninha as our regular line, but we send it down to Mexico to have decafinated using the hiper-hidrating system of decaffeination. This coffee uses the all-natural Mountain Water Decaffeination process, leaving the coffee 99% caffeine free. The Mountain Water Processes developed and used in the DESCAMEX plant preserves the original characteristics, aroma and flavour of their green coffee leaving a cleaner and more clean coffee taste.

About Fazenda Aurea

Fazenda Aurea is in a region called Serra do Salitre, a high plain in Cerrado Miniero, Minas Gerais state. At 1200 meters, the Serra do Salitre has better altitude than most of Cerrado proper, which averages 800-900 meters for coffee production.

The farm came to be as a result of a wealthy Brazilian banker who came up here in the 1970’s to become a coffee baron (it’s actually pretty normal in Brazil). The Cerrado was not a great coffee growing region but nonetheless he bought the 13-kilometre long strip of land and got to work to create his own world. He built a grand square on the farm where the farmhouse is located. Across the square (and lower than the house) is a recreated colonial chapel. Surrounding the square is worker housing and workshops. Leading up to the square, he created a grand boulevard (two lanes in each direction) lined with palm trees that he named 5th Avenue. It is said that when he would come to the farm from the city, he would stand up in the back seat of his convertible Cadillac and wave his hat to the few assembled workers as he made his processional to the main square. Those days are long gone, but the farm is still here.

Coffees from this farm prove to be great for espresso; either as an excellent consistent base for blends or some can stand up well as singles. Because of the sheer size of the farm and mill, as well as the fact that they buy coffees from a bunch of other nearby growers, we source a big selection of coffees which are all quite different.

Read Scott Reed (Zephyr) travelogue from his 2009 trip to Brazil.