This coffee has been developed in response to demand and a particular need. This is a darker roast coffee specifically aimed at home espresso machines , bean to cup machines and those people that seek out the darker more intense roast styles.

Having undertaken testing on a range of home espresso and bean to cup machines I found that limitations of the equipment meant that lighter roasted coffee was less suited since controlling the acidity levels was more challenging. I have therefore developed this style so that home users can experience and enjoy high quality speciality grade beans without having to buy the Robusta laden low grade coffees available in supermarkets.

The South of Minas is well known for coffee production in Brazil, thanks to its flat terrain, rich soils, and delicate temperatures. It is here, in the town of Varginha, where Fazenda Santa Cruz is situated.

The farm was acquired by the young couple, Guilherme and Karyna Rabelo, in the 2020s, and they have truly found a way to grow some excellent coffee. They maintain an expansive farm, with 20% dedicated to preserved native forest.

To efficiently run the farm, the team at Fazenda Santa Cruz has initiated various practices to ensure high-quality coffee is grown here. Soil health is regularly monitored to understand nutrient levels and pH. Nutrient management techniques are utilised to maintain long-term soil health. Additionally, thanks to efficient irrigation systems and various water conservation practices, the team at Fazenda Santa Cruz is better able to deal with periods of drought.

A structured pruning schedule is also used to carefully maintain the coffee trees, with practices such as skeleton pruning (performed every 4–5 years), stumping, topping to control tree height, and suckering to remove unproductive shoots.

During the harvest, once the cherries reach peak ripeness, they are hand-picked and delivered to the mill via trucks on-site. They are then sorted to remove any cherries that may not be at the ideal ripeness. Within 12–24 hours of harvest, the cherries are usually de-pulped using a machine to remove the external fruit skin, leaving roughly 5–10% of the sticky mucilage on the bean.

The coffee is then spread in even layers on patios to dry in the open sun for 7–14 days, depending on the weather. Once the moisture content reaches 10–12%, the beans are gathered to be bagged and rested before being hulled and prepared for export.

This coffee was sourced with assistance from our partner in Brazil, EISA, who began working with Fazenda Santa Cruz in 2021.

I use 18g for a 32 second pour resulting in 40g beverage and grind to meet those parameters.