The Story

We joined Nordic Approach for their autumn offer cupping in October, a chance to cup pre-shipment samples of incoming coffees from 3 different origins over the day that we attended.

We like events like this for many reasons - it’s far more ecologically sound to cycle over to a cupping lab in London than to fly out to the producing country, and we emphatically prefer to work off pre-shipment samples, ensuring we’re selecting coffees before they even land. The UK market has seen a tough year for importers - there is a lot of very good coffee sitting unsold in the warehouse, so the more we can work towards pre-sales and ensuring coffee has a home before it even touches these shores, the better. With tables of Brazil, Peru and Colombia ahead of us, we really only came to scope out how the harvests were progressing, and get some ideas for the offer for next year. Window shopping, really, without the pain of asking an importers lab to waste sample material.

We had expectations of what we’d find, but most surprising of all was this coffee from Adriano Muñiz on the Brazils table. Intensely tropical, distinctively tasting like gummy bears - it stood head and shoulder above the rest and, most surprisingly, continued to be one of the best (non-Gesha) coffees cupped from all 3 origins (!). So by the time we came to the end of the day, we realised we’d make room for it in our purchasing calendar and placed a reservation - and we’re super excited to share it now.

Fazenda Das Almas is a 109 HA farm managed by the Muñiz family since 1965 in the Cabo Verde region of Brazil. Adriano Muñiz, who took over from his father, steered the farm towards quality enhancement, adapting to market changes and the rise of speciality coffee.
They invested in infrastructure and processing methods, embracing various fermentation techniques like carbonic maceration and yeast inoculation. The farm grows a mixture of varieties that are well adapted to the lower elevations found in Brazil, including the one this lot is composed of - Catucaí, which is a high yielding disease resistant cross between the Catuaí and Icatu varieties.

This lot was set for a modern preparation - whole cherry anaerobic fermentation. The quality stands out, and for that reason the Muñiz family has decided to market it as "Agropecuária Muñiz" - a joint effort between Adriano and his sons.

The dedication to quality and control over process shows in Fazenda Das Almas - Adriano even has his own on-site milling facilities, with the ability to do pre-sorting and density based separation. This sort of vertical integration is possible with farms in Brazil, as with an annual production of over 4000 bags (nearly 13 containers of coffee!) the return on investment is viable. It’s a whole different sense of scale compared to a smallholder farmer with 1-3 HA, and mostly down to the unique geography of Brazil that allows for mechanisation.

The farm's commitment to sustainability is evident in their environmental efforts, dedicating a significant portion (37%) of the land to native preservation and implementing clean energy solutions like biogas generators and solar panels. Their community involvement extends to supporting local educational initiatives, showcasing their dedication beyond coffee production.

These efforts culminated in notable recognition, with Adriano Muñiz securing a top position in the Especialíssimo Award. This accolade underscores their excellence in coffee production, blending traditional methods with modern innovations, and their significant impact on both the environment and the local community.