South American Green Coffee Beans

South America produces more coffee worldwide than any other region of the world. With countries like Brazil (the world’s largest producer) and Colombia (third largest), it isn’t difficult to see why. In 2014, Brazil produced a whopping 2,592,000 tons of coffee and Colombia produced 810,000 tons. Brazil and Colombia supply America with roughly 40% of our green coffee beans. But, why do Americans love South American coffee so much? It may be that both coffees are noted for their sweetness. Brazilian coffee tends to be sweet and chocolaty with a creamy, less clean finish. Colombian coffees are also sweet, but are typically milder in acidity with fruity or floral notes and nutty undertones. Let’s take a look at two of our favorite Brazilian and Colombian coffees to see what all of the fuss is about:

• Unique Aspects of Brazil Daterra Sweet Blue RFA
  Brazilian coffees are characterized by their sweet chocolaty flavor, and this little jewel is no exception. The Daterra Sweet Blue is an excellent choice for those looking for a syrupy sweet cup of joe. It’s a well-balanced coffee with sublime aroma and average acidity. Roasting the Daterra Sweet Blue at a lighter roast will bring out a strong almond taste to compliment the sweetness. If you’re looking for big dark chocolate flavor and spiciness, roast this bean to medium or medium dark roast. Drinking the Brazil Daterra Sweet Blue at this roast is like stirring your coffee with a dark chocolate spoon - delightful.
• Regional Aspects
  The Daterra Sweet Blue RFA (Rain Forest Alliance certified) has a wonderful origin story. The Daterra Estate plantations are the oldest in the Cerrado region of Brazil. All of their coffees are grown between 3,000 and 4,000 ft. above sea level in perfect coffee growing conditions. They are committed to seeing these conditions remain so. As the first Brazilian Coffee grower to receive Rainforest Alliance certification, they are known for their constant cutting-edge innovations in sustainability. So, if you are looking for green coffee beans that are truly green, Daterra beans certainly fit the bill.

The Colombia Organic Sierra Nevada is a very different coffee expression:

• Unique Aspects of Colombia Organic Sierra Nevada
  This coffee is a favorite staple for many of our roasters. This coffee is very mild in acidity and body. And like many other Colombian coffees, you will notice sweet floral and fruity notes. The Sierra Nevada delivers a bright clean cup with sweet chocolate and earthy undertones to compliment the floral notes. With all of those flavors going on, it isn’t hard to see why the Colombia Sierra Nevada gets a high complexity rating.
• Regional aspects
  This coffee is grown in the Sierra Nevada region of Colombia, a mountainous coastal region with forests and jungles great for growing coffee. Colombian coffee growers pride themselves in the high quality of their coffees year after year. One reason for this is the rich history of small family coffee farms handed down for centuries. Over 500,000 growers in Colombia are a part of The National Federation of Coffee Growers which works to promote and protect the coffee industry. With a continued commitment and rich tradition of quality, it’s no wonder that Colombia remains one of the leading coffee producers in the world.