Clean and sweet, with notes of amaretti, assam tea and mandarin orange.
54°19'46.3"N
2°46'21.6"W
54°19'46.3"N
2°46'21.6"W
54°19'46.3"N
2°46'21.6"W
54°19'46.3"N
2°46'21.6"W
54°19'46.3"N
2°46'21.6"W
54°19'46.3"N
2°46'21.6"W
54°19'46.3"N
2°46'21.6"W
54°19'46.3"N
2°46'21.6"W
54°19'46.3"N
2°46'21.6"W
54°19'46.3"N
2°46'21.6"W
Every year our heroes at Daterra launch their Masterpiece collection - a series of very rare and special coffees grown and processed on the farm. We are delighted to have secured three separate lots this year, this particular lot being of the coveted laurina variety, processed by way of anaerobic fermentation.
When Tom visited Daterra in 2019 he was taken around parts of the farm that are designated as experimental growth areas for varieties not commonly planted in this part of Brazil. Apart from their main processing facility, Daterra also has a smaller, stand-alone mill dedicated to experimenting with different processing methods. Sometimes these experiments are unsuccessful, resulting in low yields or unimpressive flavour profiles, but occasionally the results are stunning. The very best products of these experiments are sold at auction each year as Masterpieces.
Laurina is coveted for its delicate, but complex flavour profile, and for the fact that it is naturally low in caffeine. Caffeine is a natural insecticide, so its absence makes laurina a particularly difficult and low-yielding variety to grow. On the flip side, caffeine’s absence is thought to contribute to the remarkable sweetness and clarity in the cup.
The cherries are hand-picked at peak ripeness, then fermented inside a tank with a valve system that prevents gas from entering. As the cherries ferment, they release CO2, which pushes the lighter oxygen out through the valve, creating an environment that is completely anaerobic, and triggering a series of enzymatic reactions that are only possible in such conditions. Once the fermentation is complete, the coffee is laid out to dry in the sunshine on raised beds.
In the cup the coffee is clean and incredibly sweet, with notes of amaretti, assam tea and mandarin orange.
Daterra is synonymous with quality, sustainability, and innovation, and we are proud to have coffees from this incredible farm underpinning our offering. The farm is vast, encompassing 6,600 hectares. This is in stark contrast to many of the farms that we source our coffee from, which are usually only single digit in terms of hectare coverage - but it is what Daterra does with this land that makes it stand out.
