Tasting Notes: Stonefruit, Sugar, Lemons

Variety: Yellow Catuai

Processing: Natural

Origin: Minas Gerais, Brazil

Producers: The Garcia Family

Altitude: 950m

Cup Score (Importer): 87

Farm Size: 42 Hectares

Familia Garcia is a coffee that's produced as a joint-effort between members of the Garcia family (we recently purchased a lot of coffee from Andre Garcia's farm Jaguara - so the name should be familiar). The family has been involved in coffee production for many generations, and this coffee comes from the patriarch Antonio's farm but is mainly managed by Andre. The focus lately has been on improving conditions of the farm both agriculturally (improving soil composition and planting varietals resistant to rust and nematodes) and operationally (expanding green area, planing shade trees, and highlighting natural springs/water sources). Something unique about this lot is that it's picked mechanically using a machine that knocks ripe cherries from the tree. Sean got to take a look at this equipment while visiting Brazil - and it's pretty cool to see the results brew up so nicely!

Familia Garcia is a great coffee with plenty of sweetness and acidity. We're tasting a strong stonefruit flavors - think peach or plum notes with a strong, thick body. The cup is notably sweet, and also features a lemony acidity that highlights the lighter flavors in this cup and contributes to an overall complex and enjoyable brew. It's really neat to see technology like mechanical pickers put to use in a specialty coffee context - and we're excited that some of the technology that's normally only deployed on commodity-grade coffee can still work well in specialty applications and produce coffees that are delicious and fun to brew!