Brazil Fazenda Sertaozinho Yellow Bourbon
The kids and I went kayaking at Lake Valley Reservoir on Wednesday afternoon, and had a blast. The water was relatively warm, completely clear, and the kids made instant friends with other families out enjoying the day. We explored all the islands, saw an osprey and a common merganser, clambered over rocks, raced across the lake, and mostly spent a day with a kid-based agenda. We ended the evening with hours of jumping off rocks into the water, over and over again. What a lovely day.
What could say summer more than jumping in a lake?
This week we have a new Brazilian for you: our Brazil Fazenda Sertaozinho Yellow Bourbon. We talked about this recently, but yellow bourbon is an arabica cultivar that ripens to yellow instead of the usual red. The yellow variety was first found in Brazil. The “bourbon” refers to a cultivar that was originally discovered on the island of Bourbon (now Reunion), which is east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean.
The estate where this is grown, Fazenda (farm) Sertaozinho, is run by José Renato Gonçalves Dias, whose great-grandparents were early coffee growers in Brazil. According to our broker, here, Fazenda Sertaozinho has
“300 hectares of protected forest with towering old growth trees called Jequitibá Rosa (Cariniana legalis), which are 40 meters tall and estimated to be more than 1,500 years old.”
Can you comprehend the age of those trees? 1500 years ago was medieval times in Europe, and native chiefdoms populated South America. From then to now–what a lot of changes.
It must be pretty magnificent to live around these old growth trees. The workers here also have the advantage of full time employment, housing, healthcare and a school provided for them. In turn, they produce high quality coffee, and there is a state-of-the-art processing facility at the Fazenda. Sr. Diaz is an agronomist, and uses his expertise to create a “biodiverse environment full of microorganisms and beneficial insects that support a healthy coffee crop.”
In the cup all of these choices have a chance to shine. This is a pulped natural coffee, where some of the fruit is left intact during drying. The roasted taste is of nuts and chocolate, with a medium acidity. It is a delicious way to start your day.
You can try a cup of this Brazilian on us with the code lake time*. I hope that you too get outside when you are able. There is an abundance of opportunity for outdoor fun in our local area. But whatever you do, drink good coffee. Cheers!
–Holly Fike
*Code good for one free 12 ounce cup of Brazil Fazenda Sertaozinho Yellow Bourbon. Code expires on 7.20.17. Limit one free cup per customer please. Valid only at Carolines Coffee Roasters, 128 S. Auburn Street, Grass Valley, CA. Code/Offer has no cash value.