Rio Brilhante

Brazil
Single Origin | Espresso

Tasting Notes: Red Apple. Boyson Berry. 70% Dark Chocolate.

Inacio Carlos Urban first arrived in Minas Gerais in 1976 with the dream of producing great coffee via sustainable and innovative practices. After acquiring his own farm in Cerrado Mineiro in 1984, Rio Brilhante has grown to become one of the largest farms in the region, as well as one of the largest in the country, spanning over 2,000 hectares. Since Inacio planted those first trees over 30 years ago, he has continued to strive for excellence within the speciality industry, mainly via his use of rigorous quality control methods.

Inacio originally named his farm Rio Brilhante, translating in English as ‘bright river’, to honour the clear crystal water that provides life to his farm. This lifeblood that Inacio notes to be so important to Rio Brilhante success originates from ‘Guarani Aquifer’, the second largest underwater reservoir on the planet, partly located underneath the Cerrado region, but also stretching as far as Paraguay and Uruguay. As well as the colossal 1600+ hectares dedicated to coffee, Inacio also has a further 700+ hectares, where he grows a combination of cotton, soy, corn, tomato, beans and grazing pasture for cattle. Inacio’s sons are now also involved in the running of the farm. Inacio notes that family care helps to keep responsibility and innovation at the heart of best practices for Rio Brilhante. He also believes his sons’ passion, will help to honour Rio Brilhante’s existing 30-year history, for decades to come.

A wide selection of varieties common to Brazil can be found at Rio Brilhante. These include Bourbon, Topazio, and Catucai, amongst others. As part of their core drive to always innovate, new varieties such as Arara and Paraiso are also being introduced. These varieties have been chosen not only for their great cup attributes but also for their pathogen resistant characteristics that help deter diseases such as leaf rust. This, in turn, increases the productivity of the tree and also reduces the quantity of fungicide application needed. This particular lot from Rio Brilhante is 100% handpicked Catuai 99. Cherries are picked and sorted, before being dried on patios until they reach below 12% moisture.

Every year, Dutch Colony strives not to only source, cup and purchase the best tasting Brazilian coffees out there - we are always looking for a great cause and story behind every farmers and farms we buy our coffee from and with Rio Brilhante taking part in many social projects with their main being the "Seeds of Change", we are happy for your palate to be teased with a fruit driven Brazil that is delicious enough on its own while indirectly contributing to a good cause.

Roast Date: 21 Oct 2024