Mr. Aneite Reis inherited 5 hectares of crops to begin production at the Rancho Grande Farm in 1933. The farm is now run by José Carlos Reis, Mr. Aneite's son, and his son Flávio Reis.
The farm sits at 970 m asl and also has a large number of cows for dairy and meat production. The farm's mission is to responsibly produce coffee of the highest possible quality while also protecting the environment and caring for the well-being of its employees. Several farm workers live in houses with subsidized electricity and food. On the farm, they are open to new ideas and techniques, and they have invested in several static drying boxes to help improve the drying process. They have worked hard to improve the quality of their coffees for the specialty market, focusing on all aspects of the production of these lots, including growing, picking, and post-harvest treatment.

After the coffee has been mechanically harvested, the levels of ripeness are separated using density. The ripe and slightly overripe cherries are then selected for the static drying boxes. These are 1 m deep boxes that can hold 15.000 litres volume of cherry, which is equivalent to 25-30 bags of green coffee.

A vented grill at the bottom of the boxes allows air to circulate from below up through the drying coffee. Cold air will be blown for 12 hours to help slow the fermentation process, and then the air temperature will be gradually increased to allow drying for 7 to 10 days.

There are two thermometers at different depths to ensure that the temperature is always below 40 degrees Celsius. They are called static because the coffee remains still in the boxes and is not turned or rotated during drying. After drying, the coffee is allowed to rest for about one to two weeks before being milled. This method has enabled the production of more fruity and prominent profiles than the typical profile associated with natural Brazilian coffee.

Acaia variety, also known as Red Acaia, is a rare varietal found mainly in Brazil. As a natural mutation of the Mundo Novo varietal (itself a Typica and Bourbon hybrid), Acaia always performs well in Brazil’s Cup of Excellence competitions. The plant grows well over 800 masl.

In the cup: dark chocolate, prunes, sweet raisins. The classic sweet and creamy espresso everybody loves.

Minimum resting period: 10 days from roast date.