Carrying on in our series of introducing coffee here is an old familiar Brazil.

Brazil Fazenda São Judas Tadeu is back for its third year, and now a firm favourite with you as well as us. I wouldn’t say we found this coffee, but we spotted it before it came 5th in the 2008 Cup of Excellence competition. Since then I have been able to visit the farm, and have met Antônio twice now.

Fazenda São Judas Tadeu is located in Chapada Diamantina, in the city of Piatã in Bahia. The farm belongs to Mr. Antônio Rigno, who has been a coffee producer for more than 25 years. He tries to grow the coffee in a sustainable way, conducting the workers technically with the use of chemical pesticides and keeping the packages of these products for recycling, not to harm the environment. It’s an up and coming area for coffee with some stunning beans coming through. In addition to Antônio’s 5th place this year in the Cup of Excellence his neighbour came 1st, the first time Bahia has won a CoE number 1 placing.

On the farm the coffee cherries are harvested selectively by hand twice a day during harvest season, and are transported by tractors to the pulping machine where the skin and pulp is removed from the beans. The beans are then spread on drying patios with the sticky mucilage still on them. The beans are then spread in layers of about 4cm and mixed several times a day to ensure even drying. The variety is Catuai and the pulped natural process is used.

This is another of our ‘exclusive coffee in the UK’ for us. We have also stood up and dug deep into our pockets with a substantial commitment on the coffee again, but I think it’s worth it.

Very similar (in a good way) to last year’s cup. In the cup expect molasses like acidity, with great chocolate and cocoa sweetness and a crunchy chocolate-type honeycomb aftertaste. Very well balanced espresso and lovely brewed coffee.

You can buy it here