Ok, here we go again…..We keep finding new coffees that keep blowing me away.  Fratello has a new Brazilian coffee, exclusive to us in Canada that you need to try.  Daterra is an extraordinary producer who’s plantations are located in the Cerrado region (State of Minas Gerais) and in the Mogiana region (State of São Paulo).  They were also the first to introduce Rainforest Alliance in Brazil.

Daterra’s Sweet Blue gave us sweet chocolate and syrupy orange aromas compliment a thick mouth feel and clean finish.  Balanced flavors of dark chocolate fudge and mild almonds.  Cupping Score: 90.

Daterra is a coffee grower and exporter best known for its innovative research, its respect for the environment, social responsibility and its high quality coffee.  Daterra is by no means a small coffee producer; however, they are very well known for the quality of coffee they produce.  This is evident when looking at a few of their awards:

1. Cup of Excellence finalist in 2001;
2. Best coffee from Brazil on the cupping for Quality by Rainforest Alliance in 2005 and 2008;
3. Espresso Blend used by World Barista Champion Troels Poulsen in 2005;
4. Espresso Blend used by World Barista Champion Klaus Thomsen in 2006;
5. Sustainable farm model by Illy Cafè in 2008
6. Four out of the six WBC finalists used Daterra coffee in their blends in 2008.
7. Daterra has a “Penta Pack®” packaging system (vacuum packaging) patented internationally.  This was used to ship Brazil’s Cup of Excellence winner lots in 2006 and 2008.

The Sweet Blue is a Micro Lot from Daterra which produces only 5300 – 7950 lbs of coffee per year.  Sweet Blue is the Mundo Novo varietal.  Their processing methods on this coffee is a pulped natural at the wet mill, 100% sun dried and followed with their Penta System for both packaging and quality control (See bottom of this post for more information on that).

Daterra’s plantations are located at an average altitude of 3,800 ft (1,150 m) under a stable temperature of around 25ºC, which constitutes the perfect environment for Arabica Coffee production.  The plantations are divided into 215 mini- farms and further subdivided into 2.816 blocks called “quadras”, each of which is planted with a specific coffee variety.  

The company’s most valuable assets, its employees and the community are especially cared for. This is evident through all the environmental and social responsibility, which the group has been preserving over its 100 years of history and has always been a priority with their family business.

Environmental & Social Responsibility

Daterra is committed to protecting the planet and its inhabitants. Its international certifications are the recognition of its responsible approach to coffee growing.  Daterra’s sustainable practices focus on:

1. Optimizing the water-use in coffee processing;
2. Treating and recycling the used water;
3. Producing and using organic fertilizer (Bio-Mass);
4. Preserving native forests, wildlife and waterfalls;
5. Educating local communities about the importance of ecology.
6. 50% of its lands have been designated as Natural Preservation Areas.

Daterra is aware that its activities may cause ecological impacts. Therefore, it is committed to developing sustainable practices in order to put economic objectives side by side with preservation, following these principles:

1. Continuous improvement of its environmental performance, seeking for friendlier farming techniques and pollution prevention.
2. Total compliance with current legislation and other requirements.
3. Promotion of sustainable coffee production through responsible agricultural activities on the natural resources and agrochemicals usage.
4. Promotion of education and ecological awareness among its employees to bolster environmental responsibility.
5. Open communication with workers, local community, law entities, customers and suppliers to foster environmental knowledge.

It is the human factor that makes Daterra one of a kind. The company seeks to improve its employee’s life quality, to hone their talents and to promote the welfare of their families. Daterra’s workforce is of course free from child labor.

Profit sharing, health care, transportation, and child day care are some examples of how Daterra applies its philosophy.

Patented Penta System and Penta Pack

Density selection – a triple system of clean airbeds uses gravity and floatation equipment to further select beans, which had been previously sorted out by size. The output is a green bean that will deliver an even roast. The Advanced Color Sorting uses exclusively Penta® designed trichromatic technology. These electronic machines finally sort out the beans by reflectance and fluorescence, guaranteeing premium coffee.

Penta Pack –  Penta Pack® is an outstanding package for excellent green coffees. The Penta Pack® is composed of a carton box with two foiled bags inside. The content of the bag goes through vacuum and inert gases insertion. Each bag weighs 26 pounds and the total box weight is 53.25 pounds.