Tasting Notes: Lime, Cherry, Sugar
Item information
Nossa Senhora do Carmo
Item information
Minas Gerais, Brazil
Description
Variety: Bourbon
Processing: Natural
Origin: Minas Gerais, Brazil
Producers: Veronica Arantes de Deus Neto
Altitude: 1200m
Cup Score (Importer): 87
Farm Size: 35 Hectares
This is a coffee we're very excited about - because it's one of the winners of the 2019 APAS cup that Sean got to take part in judging with our friends at Nordic Approach! This coffee ended up coming in second place out of ten finalists - and is an absolutely stand-out Brazilian Natural coffee. These Bourbon beans were grown by Veronica Arantes de Deus Neto and her husband Jose; they first planted their farm Sítio Nossa Senhora do Carmo in 2000 and have been tending their plants with care ever since. Like many of the smaller lots we've selected from Brazil - this is a natural-processed coffee that was dried on raised beds to achieve an even moisture content before milling.
This was one of the top coffees from the APAS cup for a reason - it tastes incredible! Sean's cupping notes score sheet lead off with "lime" and that's what we're picking up primarily: a bright lime acidity that leads off the profile and makes for an upbeat, exciting brew. There's also a fruity, cherry-like note that lends some tartness and a bit of structure to the cup, and a strong sugary sweetness throughout that balances the lime acidity and makes for a truly tasty brew. We love coffees like this that are bright and dynamic - they can be fun to brew on different devices to tinker with how different flavor qualities can be brought to the forefront. Try this coffee on your favorite brew method, then give a different approach a try - we're betting it will make a delicious cup both ways. Enjoy!
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4.0 out of 5
Solid and surprisingly forgiving.
This was a good bag to reset my tastebuds from some of the, let's say, louder coffees, I've been brewing recently. Nothing jumped out and punched me in the mouth, as it were, and that included bitterness, astringency, or other unpleasantries from under- or over-extracting. When I ended up dialing it in, I found that the stonefruit flavors took precedence, and the lime was certainly there (and almost reminded me of kiwi at some points). While the whole beans had the distinct strawberry aroma I associate with naturals, the aroma of the brewed coffee moved toward cherry. I got some chocolatey notes like a nice dark beer at the end, too. Brewing this batch was a lot of fun.
Jacob MacDonald
Dallas
Member Since
April '18
4.5 out of 5
Beautiful cup of joe
This was a great hit amongst the family! Looking forward to more.
GIANCARLO HERNANDEZ
HIALEAH
Member Since
November '19
4.5 out of 5
Great!
Rich and full taste. Really like this one.
Tisha Deen
Little Rock
Member Since
March '19
4.0 out of 5
Bossa Nossa
Delicious coffee. I loved the subtle citrusy taste up front and the solid sweetness at the end. Fun to drink.
Randall LaLonde
Millcreek
Member Since
July '15
5.0 out of 5
Delightful
Great flavor. Hint of sweetness. Not too acidic.
Laurie Coleman
Holden
Member Since
February '16
5.0 out of 5
Truly delightful
This was one of those coffees where you're really sad when you finish your cup. The flavor notes were bright and smooth. I definitely noticed a difference in flavors depending on how strong I brewed it in my aeropress - not in a bad way, but in a 'hey this is interesting' way.
Allison Priore
Jim Thorpe
Member Since
December '18
5.0 out of 5
Absolutely Fantastic
Nossa Senhora do Carmo rates up there with some of my favorite coffees. It's structured and well-balanced, yet complex and interesting. A burst of subtle lime perches upon a stable backbone of roasted sugary sweetness. There's also an earthiness to these beans that keeps them grounded. Truly exceptional.
Ethan R
Sausalito
Member Since
October '15