(2021 Crop) Sítio Canaã Acauã
Crisp and juicy, with great structure and clarity. Cola-like acidity, purple grape and tangelo, with dark chocolate on the finish.
This coffee is currently featured as one of our ‘Special Offers’.
Sítio Canaã Acauã (2021 Crop) is priced to move stock ahead of fresh-crop Brazils arriving in early 2023. This special single-variety Acauã micro-lot was meticulously harvested and processed by an award-winning producer, Kleumon Moreira, from his 2021 crop (landed April 2022). It is still presenting a vibrant acid structure and distinct variety characteristics, despite very mild paperiness. We think it will excel as a single origin espresso, or add complexity to a blend. We are now selling this coffee below cost.
Sitio Canaã (which translates to “The Promised Land” in Portuguese) is a small farm lies outside the small town of Piatã, in Bahia’s Chapada Diamantina region, at an elevation of 1,280 to 1,340 meters above sea level. Chapada Diamantina translates to ”Diamond Plateau” in Portuguese, and for 100 years this area was mined for the gemstones embedded in its cliffs. Today, the region is famous for its specialty coffee.
The farm is owned and managed by Kleumon Silva Moreira. Kleumon is young – just 34 years old – but has been working in coffee for well over a decade, alongside his mentor, Antônio Rigno (of São Judas Tadeau). Antônio is widely regarded as the best producer in the region and is famous for his commitment to quality, having achieved many accolades for his coffees in the Cup of Excellence competition and other quality awards over the years. He has provided advice and guidance for many producers in the region, and Kleumon has worked by his side for many years learning everything from how to plant and care for the trees through to processing.
In 2016, using all of his savings along with a small loan from the bank (for which Antônio was his guarantor), Kleumon had enough to establish his own coffee farm. He purchased a 10-hectare plot of land and began planting it with a wide range of varieties – Topázio, Catuaí, Obata, Acauã, Paraiso, Arara and Bourbon. This lot is 100% Acauã, a hybrid variety originating from the crossing of Mundo Novo and Sarchimor. Acauã is highly sought after by Brazilian coffee farmers, as it is very productive, disease-resistant, and has the potential for great cup quality.
Kleumon is a very conscientious producer and meticulous in the way that he approaches every aspect of his plantation. Each of the trees at Sitio Canaã is carefully planted 60cm apart and in rows that are 3.3m apart, mirroring the precision and best practice from Antônio Rigno’s farms. To optimise and supplement his income whilst the coffee plantation is fully established, Kleumon has also planted sugarcane, passionfruit, and strawberries, but as his coffee production grows, he is slowly moving away from this.
Kleumon represents the next generation of coffee producers in Piatã and continues to show great promise. This is the fourth harvest from his farm – we have purchased from him every year.
ABOUT PIATÃ
Piatã is a unique and distinct coffee-growing region. The coffees produced here tend to be very floral, sweet and complex, and quite different from those that we source elsewhere in Brazil. There are two main factors behind this: Coffee grows at elevations of up to 1,400 meters above sea level, which is very high for Brazil. Additionally, temperatures in Piatã range from about 2°C to 18°C in winter, some of the lowest in the country. Combined, the high elevation and cool climate are key in slowing down the maturation of the coffee cherries, leading to an increased concentration of sugars in the bean. The result is a cup profile that is bright, transparent, and distinctive. Piatã’s relative closeness to the Equator line ensures coffee trees can experience such drastic conditions without being affected by frost, unlike traditional coffee-growing regions in the country. Kleumon’s coffees are a fine example of the exceptional potential that exists in this region and we feel incredibly privileged to be working with him for the fourth year in a row.
Coffees from Piatã are considered some of the best in Brazil. The town was first internationally recognised for its high quality in 2009, when five of the top 10 spots in Brazil’s Cup of Excellence came from Piatã. The region’s dominance in the competition has continued every year since, particularly in 2016 when an astounding 19 of the 24 winning lots came from Piatã! These coffees are extremely limited, as production here is relatively low, given the small scale of the farms in this part of Brazil. MCM has been sourcing coffee from this region since 2012, thanks to the support of longtime partner and coffee mentor Silvio Leite. Head here to learn more about Silvio and the incredible work he’s done in Brazil.
HOW THIS COFFEE WAS PROCESSED
Kleumon ensures cherries were picked by hand only when fully ripe. His picking team mainly consisted of his family members, including his mother who lives close by. Once picked, cherries were carefully pulped by hand.
After pulping the coffee at his friend’s wet mill located 10km down the road, the beans were taken to the dry mill at Sao Judas Tadeau, where they were sun-dried in greenhouses with their mucilage still attached—spread in layers of about four centimetres and raked several times a day. Once coffee reached its optimal moisture content, the beans were separated into numbered lots, which were stored and rested in parchment in a purpose-built warehouse prior to export.
