| Country | Brazil |
|---|---|
| Farm | Sitio Canaa |
| Varietal | Arabica Sumatra |
| Processing | Natural |
| Crop | August 2023 |
| Partnership | since 2010 |
| Coffee type | Whole bean |
| Flavour | Sweet & Creamy |
Brazil Joao Hamilton
Coffee from Joao Hamilton was one of the first Brazilian coffees in our offer. The quality of the coffee and sustainable farming processes are the reasons why it has remained until now. Joao owns the Sítio Canaa and Novo Canaa farms in the Caconde region and has also built his own processing mill, where he helps his neighbors process their coffee.
Joao's rapid progress was primarily aided by his collaboration with Fazenda Ambiental Fortaleza (FAF). This is a farm and export company owned by the Croce family, which emphasizes an uncompromising and responsible approach to the environment. This is evidenced by the fact that their farm was among the first organic (not just coffee) farms in Brazil.
We select several coffees from Joao each year. In this case, it is the dry-processed Sumatra variety. Along with Obata, it is the best we can taste each year. The coffee has high honey sweetness and a light peach undertone. Ideal for filter coffee, but also suitable for moka pots.
Flavor Description
This coffee was selected by our barista Kamila during her autumn visit to Brazil. In her tasting notebook, she wrote: creamy body, brown sugar, maple syrup, yellow fruit. Translated - expect a rich cup of coffee dominated by sweetness and minimal acidity. Ideal for those who do not favor overly fruity coffees.
Farm Introduction
From commodity coffee to ecological farming
Until 2006, brothers Joao and Ivan, farmers from the Caconde region, were strictly engaged in the cultivation and processing of commodity coffee in the largest possible volumes. The reality of the coffee market and the unsustainable development of the farm (using large amounts of synthetic fertilizers) forced Joao and Ivan to change their philosophy and focus primarily on product quality and ecological farming.
In collaboration with Marcos Croce and his son Felipe from the renowned Fazenda Ambiental Fortaleza (FAF) farm, they focused their efforts on selective harvesting of ripe cherries, drying coffee on African beds, and especially on separating the harvest by variety or date (microlots).
Leaders in their region
Since then, Joao and Ivan have come a long way. Their farms are now a model example of how to grow and process specialty coffee in Brazil in an environmentally friendly way while also running an economically profitable business. We visit Joao and Ivan dos Santos every year in September. This year, Joao proudly showed off his family house under construction and the already functional processing plant where he processes not only his coffees but also those of his neighbors.
Sumatra Variety
Sumatra is a natural mutation of the Typica variety. As the name suggests, it originates from the island of Sumatra and stands out for its higher production of coffee cherries. It arrived in Brazil more than 100 years ago, and the coffee trees on Joao Hamilton's farm date back to this period.
