Brazil Sao Silvestre, Andrade Family, Carbonic Maceration

GrainPro 60 kg packaging

Microlot 4 bags
Fazenda São Silvestre is located in the Serra do Salitre region, on the border between Minas Gerais and Alto Paranaíba, at an altitude of around 1,200 meters. This area is known for its ideal terroir for growing specialty coffee: a combination of volcanic soils rich in minerals, a mild climate with well-defined wet and dry seasons, and a high altitude provides excellent conditions for the slow ripening of coffee cherries and a rich flavor profile.

Farma São Silvestre belongs to the Andrade family, who have deep roots in coffee cultivation dating back to 1901. Today, the farm is managed by brothers Ismael José de Andrade and Eduardo Andrade, the third generation of coffee growers. These brothers not only continue the family tradition but also actively innovate – combining modern agronomic knowledge with respect for nature and an emphasis on the quality of each lot.

At Fazenda São Silvestre, carefully selected Arabica varieties are grown, primarily Yellow Bourbon, Catuai, and Mundo Novo. These varieties are known for their sweetness, full body, and delicate acidity – combined with the São Silvestre terroir, they create complex and elegant cups.

Although it is common in Brazil for coffee to be harvested by machine, the microlot we selected this year was harvested exclusively by hand. This careful selection of only the ripest cherries contributes to the exceptional quality and purity of the resulting profile.

We have been working with the Andrade brothers for over 15 years. Our partnership is built on mutual trust, a shared passion for specialty coffee, and a common goal of continuous improvement. We are delighted to see our cooperation continue to develop – and we are proud that the Andrade brothers are our long-term partners.

🌱 Microlot STL028/25 – Fazenda São Silvestre Carbonic Maceration

🟡 Step 1: Variety Selection
Based on refractometer sugar content measurements, the Yellow Catuaí variety was chosen. This variety showed a high glucose and fructose content, which is ideal for fermentation – especially in closed environments with a controlled atmosphere.

🟡 Step 2: Harvesting
The main part of the ripe cherries was harvested by highly technological machine picking, which was set to collect mostly fully ripe Yellow Catuaí cherries. For this microlot, manual harvesting may also have occurred in carefully selected parts of the plantation.

🟡 Step 3: Density Sorting
After harvesting, the cherries were transported to the processing facility at Fazenda São Silvestre. The first step here was density sorting, which removed light floating cherries ("floaters"), separating unripe or defective pieces from quality ones.

🟡 Step 4: Optical Selection
Subsequently, the cherries underwent electronic color-based sorting, which very accurately separated ripe cherries from unripe ones – an important step for fermentation consistency and the resulting flavor.

🟡 Step 5: Carbonic Maceration
The selected cherries were placed in a stainless steel bioreactor, where carbonic maceration took place at a controlled temperature of 20 °C. This anaerobic fermentation process lasted 168 hours (7 days). This allowed complex aromatic and flavor compounds to develop in the coffee – including typical fruity and slightly alcoholic notes.

🟡 Step 6: Drying
After fermentation, the coffee cherries were moved to raised drying beds, where slow drying took place for 22 days. This careful drying method ensures uniform drying of the beans, better stability in the cup, and a clean flavor profile.

Flavor profile: red wine, rum pralines, whiskey, chocolate

Country of Origin: Brazil

Region: Minas Gerais/Cerrado Mineiro region

Farm: Sao Silvestre

Farmer: Famili Andrade

Altitude: 1250 m.a.s.l.

Variety: Yellow Catuaí

Processing: Carbonic Maceration

Screen: 15+

Cupping Score: 86.75

Crop: 2025