ONYX - Brazil Rancho Grande Anaerobic

This micro-lot from Rancho Grande is our inaugural release from Brazil. We have been caught in a cycle of not working within Brazil, and thanks to José Carlos Reis and his son Flávio Reis, this cycle is broken. Expect fruit-forward notes in this anaerobic natural, reminiscent of cherry and tart citrus.

Brazil is an inherently complex and HUGE coffee producing country. Whenever Brazil is mentioned, visions of large scale farms with automatic practices and perfectly straight rows of coffee planted come to mind. While we have eschewed from these large-scale practices based on the economics and the quality yielded by these large farms, we have nonetheless been fascinated by coffee produced across Brazil. Due to a lack of network and an active buying program within the country, we have had little to no access to micro-lots that we would otherwise love to buy. Thanks to our friend Tim at Bodhi Leaf Coffee, we have secured this small lot from Rancho Grande. At first offer, this coffee exudes a fruit-forward profile that reminded us much like many of the Colombian anaerobic naturals we have purchased in the past. We are thrilled to have taken a small step into setting up what we hope to be a prosperous buying program in Brazil.

Rancho Grande
Coffee production at Rancho Grande began in 1933, when Mr. Aneite Reis inherited 5 hectares of coffee. Over the years, the farm has continuously developed and refined its production techniques, thanks to the dedication and hard work of its managers. Today, Rancho Grande Farm is operated by José Carlos Reis and his son, Flávio Reis, who are the son and grandson of Mr. Aneite. The mission of Rancho Grande Farm is to produce coffee of the highest quality while prioritizing environmental sustainability and the well-being of its employees. The farm is committed to using responsible farming practices that protect the environment, ensuring that their methods are more sustainable each season.

Rancho Grande also places great importance on the welfare of its workers, providing fair wages, safe working conditions, and opportunities for professional growth. By fostering a supportive and healthy work environment, the farm aims to enhance the lives of its employees and their families. These standards and practices work towards the ultimate goal of Rancho Grande, which is to continually improve the quality of their coffee, striving to exceed consumer expectations and achieve the highest levels of satisfaction. Through their unwavering commitment to excellence, the farm seeks to create a lasting legacy of superior coffee production.

ANAEROBIC PROCESSING
There are few leaps in the technique of processing coffee larger than the most recent trend of Anaerobic processing. This is oftentimes a technique of natural processing coffee, where whole cherries are fermented in a limited oxygen environment. The word Anaerobic is a catch-all term used more often than not to refer to a limited oxygen environment. Coffee cherries are subject to a pre-fermentation before they are moved to a drying bed or patio. The extended fermentation often adds a winey or fruity note to the coffee. Throughout the world, we’ve seen this practiced in many ways, from adding cherries into a clean grainpro and tying the top for the night, all the way to stainless tanks with an airlock on the top to slowly let out carbon dioxide caused by the microbes at work. There are many who are working to understand and better control this process to gain clarity on what is really going on with limited oxygen fermentation.