Brazil
Bom Jesus
Alta Mogiana
Sao Paulo
1250 masl
Arara
Aerobic Fermentation
Turkish delight, coconut, and dark chocolate.
In the cup: This is an espresso for those who love aviator sunglasses, purple suits and some James Brown soul--it's tight, balanced, smooth and oh-so funky! The aromatic notes of this brew are like a fancy Cherry Ripe, with a creamy mouthfeel and sweet coconut and lychee across the middle palate. This brew stays with you like a catchy tune with lingering rose and dark chocolate notes that plead to be repeated!
Is this a new coffee varietal? Well, absolutely--especially when we compare it to other coffee varietal archetypes! Fundacao Procafe began investing in the research that would eventuate in Arara in 1997, but it would not be until 2012 that Arara would officially launch. Comparing this to others, Arara's development is pretty quick-- this is mostly thanks to it having derived from an unplanned natural cross.
The story: This 'surprise baby' varietal happened almost like magic, with two tiny mighty and super-productive trees popping up seemingly out of nowhere. Vibrantly displaying abundant yellow fruit and leaf rust immunity, these two happy accidents sat small, yellow and proud among a sea of their sparse red fruiting cousins.
The true diversification of Arara began first by removing the 'surprise baby' plants from the rest of the crop. Then over three generations, the best seeds from the best plants were selected and used to strategically improve plant structure, lines and size. Since its official release in 2012, Arara has become one of the most desired varietals in Brazil, with 60% of seed requests at Fundacao Procafe being for Arara.
The difference: From Arara, we see yellow cherries with large beans and good uniformity. Possessing delicious flavour attributes in a package that is compact and high yielding. Arara is also rust and disease-resistant, climate-adaptable, and drought and harvest-rainfall-tolerant (fruit remains attached to branches instead of being knocked to the floor--this is a great thing!)
Slower maturation: Arara naturally possesses a slower maturation of its fruit, which means farmers can cultivate different varietals and avoid being overwhelmed at harvest time by fruit ripening at the same time. This slow maturation is also responsible for Arara's remarkable in-cup qualities--with late-harvest cultivars such as Arara able to accumulate more compounds, adding depth and complexity to its sensory profile.
This is certainly a coffee varietal we are sure to see more of, and if this particular crop is anything to go by, then the Pillar crew will be locking down some more Arara lots to share with you very soon!