Balanced Fruitiness: Brazil Natural Rio Brilhante
Coffees in Brazil are grown in large estates on relatively flat land and low elevations. The climate is ideal for growing coffee, and its low elevation contributes to creating a flavor profile that is low-acid with a rich and chocolatey body. Brazilian coffees are adored around the world for these crowd-pleasing flavors, but it’s also rare to find more complex Brazilian coffees because of the limitations of growing conditions. It was a treat when we launched Brazil Fazendo do Lobo a few months ago with its apple streusel flavors, and we’re excited to share another Brazilian coffee that is a notch above the rest.
Rio Brilhante was founded by Inácio Urban in the 1980s when he moved to the Cerrado Mineiro Region. At the time, land in Cerrado Mineiro–a region now well known for coffee production–was considered undesirable, and it was very affordable for Inácio to plant 20 hectares of coffee trees.
COFFEE FARMS IN BRAZIL ARE INCREDIBLY LARGE. RIO BRILHANTE IS 2700 HECTARES, WITH 1650 HECTARES DEDICATED TO GROWING COFFEE.HERE, YOU CAN SEE PARTS OF THE FARM AND THE DRYING PATIOS.
Over the last 40 years, he slowly purchased more land and trees. The farm is now 2700 hectares, with 1650 hectares dedicated to coffee. It is divided into 45 sections, each with its own unique terroir and microclimate. Untouched areas are a natural divider between coffee sections and preserve the farm's biodiversity. In the 2000s, Rio Brilhante became a family-run operation when Inácio’s daughter Erika, son Fernando, and son-in-law Noé joined him in his efforts.
ripe coffees cherries ready to be picked in rio brilhante
The farm has received awards for producing remarkable coffees. In 2020, it was awarded first place in the Ethics and Traceability Award for its commitment to creating programs to develop people, preserve the environment, and promote responsible agribusiness. It is also Rainforest Alliance and 4C certified.
machine are preCIsely calibrated to pick ripe coffees cherries on the farM. Various varieties are grown in rio brilhante, including yellow bourbon, catucai, and icatu
The farm is in a micro-region called Pâtano, located in the Minas Gerais state. Pâtano is known for having well-defined seasons and consistent seasonal rain–an ideal climate for coffee production, particularly for naturally processed coffees. Roughly eighty percent of Rio Brilhante’s coffee production is naturally processed, mostly mechanically. Harvesting machines are carefully calibrated to ensure that cherries are picked at peak ripeness. Cherries are sorted by density, separating the denser and higher-quality coffees for more detail-focused post-harvest processing. This has allowed Rio Brilhante to produce more complex coffees like this natural-processed coffee we’ve chosen as our summer single origin.
Inácio Urban (left) walking through the farm with a worker
This coffee has layers of flavor that open up as it cools. We pick up notes of chocolate at first before its body becomes more silky and juicy like honeydew melon, and its raspberry and candy-like, gummy bear sweetness begins to come through. With a heavier brew, we taste vanilla cookies and a hint of berries. We love that the fruitiness of this coffee is balanced, and is easy to drink at any time of the day!
