We've been buying coffee from Fazenda Cachoeira da Grama for over 20 years, and there's good reason why. This internationally renowned farm has been in the Carvalho Dias family since 1890, producing consistently exceptional coffee from Brazil's Sul de Minas region. Since Bourbon Specialty Coffees joined the management in 2016, it's become a proper hub for coffee variety research and innovative processing techniques.

The farm sits just north of the Minas Gerais border, nudging into Alta Mogiana in São Paulo state. Its mountainous terrain ranges from 1,100 to 1,300 metres above sea level, with precipitation levels between 1,800 and 2,000mm annually and an average temperature of 19ºC. Ideal conditions for coffee, basically.

Mogiana is one of Brazil's oldest coffee production areas, with a history stretching back to the 1800s. The region takes its name from the Companhia Mogiana railways that traversed these mountainous coffee lands, the local line was known as "The Coffee Train" for its crucial role in early coffee production. The rich red volcanic soil and unique range of microclimates here have long been renowned for producing terrific quality and distinctive flavour profiles. Today, more than 1 million bags of coffee are grown in the Mogiana Valley annually.

At Cachoeira, everything is done manually, from planting to handling to harvest. The steep topography simply doesn't allow for the kind of mechanisation you commonly see elsewhere in Brazil. This hands-on approach, combined with a focus primarily on Yellow and Red Bourbon varieties, has earned the farm multiple Cup of Excellence awards. Gabriel de Carvalho Dias, an agronomic engineer and leading agronomist, has been instrumental in the farm's success through his expertise and genuine passion for coffee.

Spanning 411 hectares (with 84 dedicated to coffee), Fazenda Cachoeira da Grama takes environmental and social sustainability seriously. Lindolpho de Carvalho Dias developed a programme to plant native species alongside coffee crops to support biodiversity, including a partnership with SOS Mata Atlântica planting trees native to the Mata Atlântica forest. The farm also provides amenities for its workers, including a school, club, football field, and 47 houses with modern facilities. Investments in coffee processing facilities, wastewater treatment, and a small hydroelectric plant further demonstrate their commitment to doing things properly.

The Carvalho Dias family's dedication to land preservation and community support has enabled them to produce consistently excellent coffee for well over a century, making Fazenda Cachoeira da Grama a genuine standout in the global coffee community.

One for those with a sweet tooth, this starts with a mix of milk chocolate and Caramac for an indulgent start. a little edge of almond and then a sprinkle of sultanas on the finish wraps up this chocolate bar in a mug.

• Country: Brazil
• State: São Paulo
• Region: Vale da Grama, Mogiana
• Nearest city: São Sebastião da Grama
• Farm: Cachoeira da Grama
• Producer: Gabriel de Carvalho Dias
• Altitude: 1,250 m.a.s.l.
• Farm size: 411.04 hectares
• Coffee growing area: 84.36 hectares
• Harvest months: May–September
• Annual production: 4,000 bags
• Processing: Natural
• Varietal: Canario
• Varieties grown: Yellow Bourbon, Red Bourbon, Yellow Catuaí, Red Catuaí, Yellow Catucaí, Canário, Mundo Novo, Arara
• Harvest methods: Manual, derriçadeiras, selective picking

Cupping notes: Milk chocolate, Caramac, sultana.

Cup of Excellence Cupping Scores

• Clean cup (1–8): 6
• Sweetness (1–8): 7
• Acidity (1–8): 6
• Mouthfeel (1–8): 6.5
• Flavour (1–8): 7
• Aftertaste (1–8): 6
• Balance (1–8): 6.5
• Overall (1–8): 6
• Correction (+36): +36
• Total (max. 100): 87

If you'd like to find out more about how we score coffees, make sure to read our blog post "What Do Coffee Cupping Scores Actually Mean?" and if you'd like to try cupping yourself, we've got a guide to that too: What is Coffee Cupping.

Medium to medium-dark
Keep the pace of the roast middle of the road, maybe a fraction on the slower side. Then you're looking for end of the gap to finish the roast, don't push it too far.