Brazil Rancho Sao Benedito

TASTING NOTES

Red Apple - Honey - Roasted Almond

From the Junqueira family's Rancho São Benedito in Brazil's Mantiqueira de Minas region, this Yellow Arara showcases the elegance and sweetness of carefully produced pulped natural coffee. Crisp red apple leads into layers of golden honey and roasted almond, creating a beautifully balanced cup with gentle acidity and a smooth, lingering finish.

VARIETAL Yellow Arara

PROCESS Pulped Natural

ALTITUDE 1150 – 1300 m.a.s.l.

PRODUCER Márcio Heleno de Carvalho Junqueira Rancho Sao Benedito

ORIGIN Mantiqueira de Minas, Brazil

ROAST Omni

Size

Grind

Pickup available at The Roastery

Usually ready in 24 hours

meet the producer

Márcio Heleno de Carvalho Junqueira

Rancho São Benedito has been in the Junqueira family since 1954, when Mariana de Carvalho Junqueira inherited the property from her parents. With a passion for coffee cultivation, Mariana expanded the farm and invested in the infrastructure needed to improve quality.

Today, the farm is managed by her son, Márcio Heleno de Carvalho Junqueira, alongside a network of neighbouring family properties. Together, they share processing facilities designed to reduce water and energy consumption while maintaining high quality standards.

The farm employs around 20 permanent staff, with additional workers during harvest, and supports its community through access to housing, healthcare, education and recreational facilities.

the process

Pulped Natural

At Rancho São Benedito, pulped natural processing combines careful fruit selection with controlled drying to develop sweetness while maintaining clarity in the cup. Following harvesting and sorting, the outer skin and pulp are removed, leaving some of the fruit's natural mucilage on the parchment during drying.
The farm's dedicated processing facilities allow each stage to be carefully managed, producing a coffee with the sweetness and body associated with natural processing alongside the balance and definition of a washed coffee.

Harvesting & Selection

Coffee cherries are initially harvested mechanically before undergoing rigorous hand sorting to select ripe, uniform fruit. This careful selection ensures that only suitable cherries proceed to processing, establishing the foundation for quality and consistency.

Pulping

The selected cherries are transported to the farm's central processing facility, where specialised pulping equipment removes the outer skin and much of the fruit. The remaining mucilage is left on the parchment coffee, contributing to sweetness and complexity during drying.

Sun Drying

The pulped coffee is spread across open-air and suspended drying patios, where it dries slowly in the sun for approximately 15 days. Careful management throughout drying promotes even moisture reduction and helps preserve the coffee's distinctive characteristics.

Rest & Preparation

Once the desired moisture content is reached, the dried coffee is transferred to specialised silos to rest and stabilise. This resting period allows moisture to equilibrate before the coffee undergoes final milling, sorting and preparation for export.

why we chose this coffee

Brazil, But Not As You Know It

We're always drawn to Brazilian coffees that offer something beyond the familiar chocolate and nut-driven profiles, and this Yellow Arara immediately caught our attention. Its crisp red apple character brings a refreshing brightness to the cup, balanced by honeyed sweetness and a delicate roasted almond finish. It's a beautifully structured coffee that showcases the potential of the Arara variety and the care taken in its production. A wonderful example of the elegance and complexity that Brazilian coffees can offer.

Brazil Rancho Sao Benedito

Márcio Heleno de Carvalho Junqueira

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