Daterra Semi Carbonic Maceration Laurina
The coffee we have chosen for our July subscription is an exclusive auction lot from the Daterra Masterpieces Auction. This is the farm that produced the winning coffee for the World Brewers Cup 2018 Champion. Read on to find out why this incredible coffee is unlike any Brazilian coffee we've ever tasted.
About the Farm
The Daterra farm is located 1200masl in the Cerrado region of Brazil. The steady climate, dry winds in pleasantly hot days and refreshingly cool nights is the ideal condition for coffee to be grown. Each year Daterra's masterful cuppers search the vast potential of Daterra for unique small lots of coffee, called Masterpieces. The Masterpieces range explores new and unusual varietals, processing methods and drying techniques.
About the Variety
The Laurina varietal, also called the “Bourbon Pointu” is from the Reunion Islands and was almost extinct for many years because of the plant’s delicacy. Its small and pointy beans present a low 0.3%–0.5% caffeine as compared to the 1.4% range of the other Arabica varieties. The lower caffeine content also means less bitterness allowing us to taste the delicate flavours of the coffee.
About the Processing
The process applied to this coffee is a Semi-Carbonic Maceration, which is inspired by the Beaujolais winemaking technique. The cherries were handpicked and placed inside a sealed tank for 48 hours.
During the fermentation process, CO2 is released and the higher density of CO2 pushes out the oxygen inside the tank. The tank’s lid is equipped with an airlock valve that allows oxygen to leave but blocks its return - at a certain point, the environment becomes anaerobic.
Daterra calls it “semi-carbonic” because the fermentation starts out with oxygen but eventually the environment becomes anaerobic, and maceration happens because the weight of the cherries on top of the tank crushes the cherries on the bottom.
The End Result
It is little wonder why this coffee is named after the lively and upbeat Brazilian music genre "Chorinho". The experimental processing enhances the complexity of the acidity and the sweetness of the coffee. Combined with the incredible cup quality of the Laurina, this coffee changed our perspective of what Brazilian coffee can be. When hot, we taste sparkling pineapples that cools to a gentle sweet dried lychee with a syrupy body. Overall it is a very complex and enjoyable cup.
Subscribe here now for more exciting coffees lined up on our Monthly subscription programme.