São José - Brazil

Fazenda São José is located in the municipality of Conceição das Pedras, southern Minas Gerais, in the Serra da Mantiqueira region, at an average altitude of 1,100 metres. This mountainous region has a distinctive climate and land suitable for the production of specialty coffees. São José has been cultivating coffee for over 60 years, consistently prioritising the quality of the coffee produced, with varieties such as Yellow Bourbon, Yellow Catuai, Red Catuai, Catucai, and Arara.

Lillian, the great-granddaughter of the farm’s founder, is dedicated to sustainable coffee cultivation, preserving the environment, springs, and existing forests on the property. Since its establishment, the estate has been guided by technicians and agronomists, with oversight at every stage of production, from the planting of seedlings to post-harvest. Harvesting is selective, only carried out when the fruit is fully ripe. On the same day as harvest, the coffee is placed in sacks and transported to a cement yard and electric dryers for drying, being stirred several times daily until reaching the ideal moisture content of 11%. After drying, the coffee is taken to the resting silos. Once rested, the beans are processed on the farm, separated into batches, stored in big bags, in a warehouse in Natércia - MG, where they are classified.

This long-held focus on quality throughout the production chain results in a full-bodied, round and sweet coffee, with sweet chocolate, ripe plum and sugared almond notes; it's an easy-drinking filter brew but does shine with espresso-based drinks.