No matter how much you love coffee, one trip to Daterra and you see that owner Luis Norberto loves it more. Daterra has been a pioneer in coffee quality in Brazil and throughout the world, and the quality of their coffees continues to set a very high bar.
Quality Through Sustainability
Daterra means “of the earth” and they truly are committed to sustainability, with 50% of this Rainforest Alliance Certified farm dedicated to natural preserves.In fact, Daterra was first Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee farm in Brazil. Owner Luís Norberto Paschoal is a coffee visionary and lover who founded Daterra to raise the bar of coffee quality in a sustainable manner.
Daterra Reserve
Each year Carlos picks the very best lot of coffee and this is designated the Reserve. The Reserve lot is separated from the other coffees throughout drying and processing. The peaberries and 17-18 screen sizes are then separated from the Reserve Lot, and the peaberries for the Pearl Reserve. To the right is a photo of the reserve, the peaberry of the reserve or “Pearl Reserve,” and the oblong screen used to separate out the peaberries behind the samples.
The Penta System
The heart of Daterra’s quality control is their Penta System, divided into five main catogeries: Planting, Harvesting, Drying, Processing and Sorting, Warehousing and Packaging.
Here is a brief description of each of these:
1. Planting
Daterra has an in-house nursery that allows them better quality control as well as the chance to develop unique cultivars through their various partnerships with research institutions.
Daterra’s in-house nursery
2. Harvesting
Daterra does something quite unique in that they actually cup the coffee in a particular lot before harvesting. If the cup quality is optimum, Daterra has the ability to harvest the coffee and deliver it to the wet mill within 2 hours. All lots are meticulously tracked throughout the process.
3. Drying
The facilities at Daterra contain an enormous insulated patio, and sun drying is the first step of the drying process, finished off by mechanical drying. The size of the patio allows for thin layers, and the quantity of dryers means that humid coffee is not left in a pile where it can develop off-flavors. After drying to 11.5%, the coffee is put into wood silos where it ages for 6 weeks to achieve a homogeneous moisture level throughout the bean. One key factor is that Daterra’s Carlos Borges cups the coffee at all points, and is very careful not to dilute the highest quality coffees with standard coffee.
4. Processing and Sorting
Daterra uses a combination of densimetric tables, trichromatic color sorters, black lights among other instruments to remove impurities and defects from the coffee and sort by screen size. The difference is noticeable and the absence of defects ensures quality and consistency in the cup.
5. Warehousing and Packaging
The warehouse is completely sealed and impermeable to light. when the door is closed. They have installed a special UV-resistant canvas on the ceiling and walls. Dehumidifiers maintain humidity at a constant 60% and line the perimeter of the warehouse with one every three meters. Coffee is either stored in insulated bags or in the vacuum-sealed Penta Packs. Coffee store in the insulated bags is transferred to certified organic jute only upon shipping to avoid aroma/flavor contamination. The result is a freshness that maintains the potential of each bean all the way to the roaster.
Complete darkness inside the Daterra warehouse
Daterra Vacuum-sealed bags
