Coffee Description
A Yellow Catuai varietal bean that boasts rich milk chocolate and walnut notes brightened by a smooth black cherry acidity.
Roast Level from the Roaster
Refers to the roast level in comparison with other coffees from the roaster
Medium
Variety
Catuai
Process
Natural
Elevation
1100 - 1200 masl
Region
Carmo De Minas
About Fazenda Do Condado Estate of Brazil
Equiano loves to work directly with family farms, and this is one of our longest standing relationships.
The Fazenda do Condado, one of the cradles of the Junqueira family, was home to Antônio José Ribeiro de Carvalho (Velho do Condado), son-in-law of Barão de Alfenas, married to Helena Nicésia Junqueira de Andrade. The current owners, Ibraim Chaib de Sousa and Marly Dias Chaib de Sousa, belong to the 4th and 5th generation of Velho do Condado, are married and have 5 children, Ricardo, Pedro Paulo, Nazira, Maria Wilma and Maria Aparecida.
Located just 5 km from the town of Carmo de Minas, in the flanks of the Mantiqueira mountain range, at a variable altitude between 900 and 1,100 meters, the farm is privileged by nature with several springs and fertile land, suitable for growing special coffee.
Today we have on the farm 14 houses, all in brick masonry, with basic infrastructure, which house 18 employees and their families. In addition to receiving fair wages, as provided by law, the farm's residents have a football pitch for their leisure and the freedom to grow food for their livelihoods in their backyards.
Harvesting is carried out using the technique of melting the cloth, a traditional way in the region for the removal of the fruits, and a selective harvest is still in place, guaranteeing that only mature plots will be harvested. Transport is immediate to the processing center.
Then all the coffee is washed in a mechanical washer. The hydraulic separation of the fruits by density difference allows two portions of coffee to be obtained: the "buoy" coffees portion composed of lighter fruits and the share of green coffees and cherries. The latter high to the peeler are processed by wet, thus obtaining the "peeled cherry" and the green. The batches are taken separately to cement terrariums and kept separate until the end of the process. The green and the float, if need be, are taken to the dryers to end the drought. The cherry is dried in the terreiro until obtaining the appropriate degree of humidity.
The property is inserted in the demarcated area that holds the stamp of Denomination of origin - Mantiqueira de Minas - granted by the National Institute of Industrial Property - INPI, which guarantees the origin and quality of the coffee lot (www.mantiqueirademinas.org).bbb
Carmo De Minas, Brazil
Equiano Coffee
We are a family-owned and operated roaster in Eugene, Oregon. We pride ourselves in sourcing and roasting some of the most delicious specialty grade coffees from Viet Nam, DR Congo, Cameroon, Brazil, and beyond.
Our Story:
In the 90s, you could find Okon and Gloria hanging out at Theo's Coffee House in downtown Eugene. Okon would sit inside and play chess, enjoying the rich smell of old books and freshly brewed coffee and the buzzing of conversations. The energy and culture of that coffee house ignited a passion in Okon for the way that coffee can connect people. After seeing an article in a magazine about Ethiopian coffee rituals, he realized that coffee was a part of his culture as well. He purchased a 1.5 quart copper pot and began roasting 10 ounce batches of coffee in his apartment.
"I think the real reason I started roasting coffee was to impress Gloria," Okon chuckles as he recalls seeing her sitting outside of Theo's and being mesmerized by her beauty. Gloria spent many years working as a barista at various coffee kiosks and at Perugino while pursuing her love for art and painting.
In between roasting 10 ounce batches of coffee in his apartment and owning Equiano, Okon took a deep dive into the world of specialty coffee. On a trip to Colombia he learned how much time and effort and care goes into growing specialty coffee. Each different farm, country and region grew beans that expressed different flavor profiles, aromas and textures. His goal as a roaster was to best articulate these flavors. Selling specialty coffee is not just a hobby for him, he is invested in the farmers and purveyors that he purchases from and fascinated by the process of expressing each bean to its utmost deliciousness.
"Gloria has taught me so much about being a barista, she's the one who makes this all work. I can nerd out on the specifics of the roast, but Gloria is behind the scenes, she curates the art, the atmosphere, the energy of the space," Okon says. They work as a team to bring not only the most delicious coffee to your lips, but to create a space that is warm, welcoming and inspiring. We may all be consumed by our phones and our daily tasks, but if we can smell and taste something so delicious that it brings us fully into the present moment, allows us to connect to our senses and to each other, than the love behind the coffee can be felt.
Bio written by Gracie Schatz.
