Brazil St. Domingos Volcano Coffee from Poços de Caldas

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There is no other terroir in the world similar to the unique microclimate of Poços de Caldas, which is angled perfectly toward the sun. Pocos de Caldas receives sharply divided day and night periods that begin with early morning sun full-on until 4 pm, when the sun suddenly is cut off by passing across the rim of the crate at the top of the mountain, triggering a burst of energy (sugar) conversion into flavor in the beans. The soil is an enriched combination of volcanic minerals and rainforest soil, giving the coffee an abundance of nutrition and minerals. The coffees consist of a variety of unusual Arabica sub-types, including golden-fruited Catuai.

These coffees are sustainably grown, UTZ Certified, and direct-trade. Volcano Coffee Company also practices an innovative reinterpretation of "shade-grown" coffee: instead of interplanting hardwood trees with their coffee (which is of limited usefulness for wildlife due to lack of underbrush and biodiversity), they preserve wide strips of intact rainforest between different planting areas. This lets the coffee get the right amount of sun, protects biodiversity, and provides undisturbed habitat for wildlife.