Brazil Cerrado coffee is grown at altitudes of 900–1,250 meters above sea level. Plantations are large, ranging from 100 to 3,000 hectares, with tremendous output.
REGION: Cerrado | GROWING ALTITUDE: 900 – 1,250m | HARVEST PERIOD: May – September | FLAVOUR: Chocolate, Nut, Caramel | BODY: Medium, smooth | ACIDITY: Low, Citric
Brazil is the largest coffee-growing country in the world, responsible for 30 percent of coffee grown worldwide, about 74 percent of which is Arabica. One of the most notable coffee regions in Brazil is Cerrado, in southwestern Minas Gerais. Cerrado is a vast tropical and subtropical biome that includes forests, marshlands, and grassland. Covering more than 20 percent of Brazil, it is the largest savannah in South America.
The name cerrado translates as closed, and the region remained so until the 1960s, when farmers began treating the soil. Over the years, the grasslands were transformed into agricultural and pastureland. Brazil Cerrado coffee is grown at altitudes of 900–1,250 meters above sea level. Plantations are large, ranging from 100 to 3,000 hectares, with tremendous output. A homogenous climate allows for extensive control at all levels of the production. Additionally, the flat topography enables the use of efficient mechanical harvesting.
Most coffees are processed using natural and pulped-natural processes, meaning the coffee is dried with all or a large amount of fruit on the bean. This process imparts sweet, fruity notes and produces a creamy body. The result is a well-balanced, nutty, chocolatey profile with a low, citric acidity and smooth body — a universally enjoyable cup that has become famous the world over.