ARARA VERMELHA

Arara is the second of the two main fermentation experiments we did this year. The name, “Arara Vermelha” is the Portuguese translation of Scarlet Macaw, that are commonly found in the jungles of Brazil. In Brazil, these macaws are considered the symbol of lasting relationship, due to the fact they usually take on one mate through their long 80 year life. For us this resonated, as this special lot was only possible through the 100+ year commitment we have had with our land, along with years of experimentation. 

The cherries for this lot partially came from the same lot as our Peixoto Honey but with very different results. We processed the entirety of this lot in a large pile, exposed to oxygen; in this style of fermentation, the yeast take over due to the excess oxygen that allows for rapid respiration and growth. This creates large amounts of alcohol, as a byproduct of the yeast consuming the natural sugars in the cherries, some of this alcohol gets locked up inside of the cherry giving the coffee a light winey flavor, while the rest that is created on the skin starts to transform to acetic acid giving the coffee a distinct acidity. 

This fermentation style came out of years of research and experimentation on the farm in which we tried many different fermentation times, temperatures, environments, and added substrates. We found that an extended low temperature and open-air fermentation – helped emphasize the body, acidity, intensity, and fruit characteristics in our coffees. 

This lot is fully planted with the yellow catucai variety. This is the same variety as our main three lots but through the processing all the natural flavor has evolved. The citric/malic acidity present in our main lots presents as apricot, and kiwi, while brand new flavors like blackberry and banana get added to the mix.

We slow dried this coffee on concrete patios until it arrived at the optimal moisture content. This slow drying enhances the fruit characteristics and allows the coffee to hold its flavor long after the harvest.

When roasting this coffee, we wanted to showcase the unique characteristics of this coffee. We achieved this by roasting to a similar development as the main lots but with a hotter and faster approach to the end of the roast. This leaves the fruit notes intact while also allowing the sugars to caramelize creating higher sweetness and body.

The result is heavily fruited cup with a bright acidity, syrupy body, and jammy sweetness. The aromatics are pronounced and intense – along with the flavors.

Farm details:

Farmer:          José Augusto Peixoto

Farm:             Fazenda São José da Boa Vista

Region:          Sul de Minas

Country:         Brazil

Altitude:         1250 MSL

Process:          Natural

Varietal:         Yellow Catucai

Flavor profile:

Taste:            Apricot, red cherry, blackberry, kiwi, starfruit, caramelized banana, toffee

Acidity:          Medium intensity/bright

Sweetness:    Medium intensity/round

Body:            heavy/coating