Silver Oak Coffee - Single estate: Fazenda Cruzeiro, Brazil Late Harvest

This is now back in stock following delivery of the new late season harvest. Awaits new labels so is still on the early harvest label. The ripe blueberry has been replaced with a hint of orange perhaps. Sweeter than the early crop with a little more dark chocolate.

Owner Cláudio Ottoni and his family run the 343 hectare farm in the Alto Paranalba region of Brazil of which 200 hectares is under coffee. Less than 5% of the farm is given over to the Rubi varietal, a hybrid of Mundo Nova and Catuaí. This varietal is suited to the Brazilian climate where heavy rainfall is experience before May followed by great weather to ensure the natural drying process in the following months. This is the late harvest 2014 crop where further improvements to enhance quality have been made to include natural processes to reduce the threat of incects thereby reducing the need for chemicals which has the knock on effect of helping to reduce the threat of Roya, coffee leaf rust. This is done by the strategic planting of plant species specifically designed to attract and trap insects before they can infect the coffee cherries. Further work has also been undertaken to reduce water usage and waste whereby the farm now operates at zero water wastage.

Wildlife preservation continues to be important to Claudio who has now turned over some 140 hectares of land to devoted to native flora and fauna to attract wildlife.

The farm employs 80 permenant staff and around 25 seasonal employees. Water is recycled and solids such as coffee skin residue are used as organic fertiliser. One of a handful of farms in Brazil to use silo dryers to compliment the natural drying process Cláudio maintains this further improves quality and consistency.

Roasterr: Silver Oak Coffee

Silver Oak Coffee does not deliver to United Kingdom