The first anaerobic lot The Barn has featured from their partners Ivan and Rose dos Santos. In the cup, it is like sweet fig jam and velvety nougat: an espresso full of character.
Ivan is the younger brother of Gertrudes and Joao Hamilton dos Santos. Together with his siblings and wife Rose, a partnership began with FAF (Fazenda Ambiental Fortaleza or Environmental Fortress Farm) in 2008 to change to sustainable, quality-driven coffee farming. Fast forward and a whole region has been transformed, with neighbours collaborating and following the best possible farming practices.
Named after the Brazilian Roadrunner which is native to the area, Ivan and Rose's Sitio Seriema farm is a model of modern, responsible coffee production. The Barn first tasted coffees from the family in 2014 and they have helped change their perception of Brazilian coffees. With a high proportion of Brazilian coffee produced at the lower ‘commodity’ standard, it has been an intriguing journey to see the beautiful terroir of the country properly expressed.
The Barn's relationship with Ivan and Rose has grown over the years and they have started investing in upgrades at their farm. With improved water treatment facilities, the farm now fully cleans all water before releasing it back into the environment. Working with FAF, this project is now spreading across the region: helping to deliver a more sustainable model of coffee production.
This lot underwent fermentation for 36 hours: the whole cherries are sorted and cleaned, before being placed in a sealed anaerobic environment. The fermented cherries were then dried on patios with the whole outside cherry intact. The anaerobic process is a great match for the terroir of Brazil, bringing superb depth to the profile.
