We've always had the intention of seasonal rotation between Ethiopian and Colombian sugarcane decaf - but we got a little out of step with the seasons, so we're shaking it up and resetting back to schedule with this super interesting and surprisingly delightful Brazilian EA - our first ever! We spotted it on the Nordic offer list when it first appeared, snagged a samp and were quite happily delighted. We've always been big fans of coffees from the Mantiqueira de Minas region - with higher altitude and oft smaller farms than some of the other regions in Brazil, the quality levels are broadly pretty high; and it's only been a matter of time till we featured coffee from this region. Starting with a good solid high quality Brazil base, the EA decaf process tends to impart a slightly generic "taste of process" tropical acidity - but with the Brazil profile, it's very well received, and we find it's lead to a surprisingly (gently) fruity espresso when black. That fruity note gets a little washed out in milk, reverting to a really sweet peanut butter + milk choc cup - just like Reece's Brew Guide: Best Brewed with: Espresso, but can make a chunky filter Medium Roaster Influence: A low and slow approach is always our way to go for Brazil espresso - and it's no less the same for our decaf. Much longer stretched development but without a high end temp (so a very carefully managed rate-of-rise) leads a sweet and sticky dense cup. Best Rested: 2+ weeks Filter: We recommend a ratio of 65g/L and 90°C water Espresso: 18g in, 40g out, 28-32s for a classic style of espresso. We're tasting: Very rich and gently fruity in the cup with black espresso - we're finding yellow plum, dried apple, dried fig and pomegranate molasses, sitting on a rich base of biscuit + chocolate + nuts + a gooeyness that reminds us of Rocky road. In Milk, the fruity note is rounded off, and we think it tastes like peanut butter cups. Traceability Country of Origin: Brazil Region: Mantiqueira, Minas Gerais Producer: Rafael Fagundes, Rosimeire Aparecida Guerra, Natália Moreira Brito Farm: Field Blend (Sítio São Joaquim, Sítio Vargem Grande, Sítio Toca da Jaguara) Variety: Mundo Novo, Catuai, Arara Elevation: 1040 - 1300 MASL Process: Traditional Natural / E.A Decaf: Ripe cherries picked and dried at each individual smallholders farm, each lot was first quality controlled before selection to be built into a larger regional blend during the milling process. Once exported, this lot was sent for “E.A Process” (Sugarcane) decaffeination by Coffein Compagnie in Bremen, Germany. Import Partner: Nordic Approach Harvest: 25/26 - Arrived UK: 08/06/26. New Purchasing Relationship The Story Mantiqueira Collective is a communal lot brought together annually from a small, consistent group of producers Nordic Approach works with in the Mantiqueira de Minas region, coordinated through Natália Moreira Brito. This year's contributors are Rafael Fagundes of Sítio São Joaquim in Natércia, Rosimeire Aparecida Guerra of Sítio Vargem Grande in Lambari, and Natália herself, of Sítio Toca da Jaguara in Cambuquira. The region sits on the Minas Gerais face of the Serra da Mantiqueira, recognised as a Denominação de Origem since 2020, with a landholding structure that tends toward smaller, family-run farms rather than the larger, mechanised estates found further north in Brazil. Building a blend of this kind allows the group to smooth out variation between individual farms and, more importantly, gives producers a reliable outlet for volume that would otherwise be difficult to place lot by lot, while making it easier for smaller, higher-scoring parcels from the same farms to be sold on their own merits elsewhere. This particular lot was bought during a period of unusually high domestic pricing in Brazil, a consequence of a reduced arabica harvest and a period of currency movement that pushed farmgate prices to levels rarely seen in the face of record C price highs. The blend was bought at BRL 2550 pe