Reis Farm: our first coffee from Brazil
Written by Marc Narrie, founder of Buddha Beans Coffee Co. and specialty coffee roaster since 2019. Buddha Beans has been infusing coffee with CBG since launch, making it one of the first CBG coffee brands in the US.
Brazil grows more coffee than any country on earth. Most of it ends up in blends, anonymous and bulk, the workhorse beans behind a thousand grocery-store bags. That is the version of Brazil most people have tasted. Reis Farm is the other version.
This is our first single-origin from Brazil, and we did not want it to taste like what you expect from the country. It comes from José Carlos Reis and his son Flávio, two growers who treat their farm like a workshop instead of a commodity lot. A father and a son, working the same land, doing the slow and fussy work that bulk Brazilian coffee skips.
What makes Reis Farm different
The short answer is the fermentation. Reis Farm is an anaerobic natural, which means the coffee ferments whole, still inside its fruit, under limited oxygen. With the air cut back, a different set of microbes takes the lead, breaks down the sugars in the cherry, and builds the deep, fruit-forward flavor a standard washed coffee never develops.
That ferment runs for 48 hours. Then the whole cherries dry slowly on raised beds and patios for about twenty days, the fruit staying on the bean the entire time. What develops during the ferment soaks into the seed, and you taste it later in the cup.
Why 48 hours and not more? Duration controls intensity. A 24-hour ferment keeps more of the plain bean character. Push past 72 hours and you drift into funky, jammy territory that buries the origin. Forty-eight hours is the middle of the dial: long enough for a clear wine-like character to show up, short enough that the coffee still tastes like coffee.
Processing methods, in plain terms
Most coffee bags never tell you how the coffee was processed, which is a shame, because that one decision shapes the cup more than almost anything else. After the ripe cherries are picked, they go to a wet mill, where the producer has to separate the seed (the bean) from its sticky fruit and dry it for export. There are countless ways to do that, but they mostly fall into four buckets: natural, washed, honey, and experimental.
The method is the best clue to how a coffee will taste. Natural and experimental coffees, like this one, tend to drink juicy and tropical, with berry and red-fruit notes up front. Washed and honey coffees lean the other way, floral and tea-like, with a lighter body and subtler fruit, usually closer to stone fruit or apple than berry. If juicy, fruit-forward coffee is not your thing, washed is your safer bet. If it is exactly your thing, naturals and experimentals are where you live.
Processing also changes how a coffee brews. Long ferments, the naturals and experimentals, break the bean down a little and make it more soluble, so you do not need to grind as fine, and filter brews tend to drain faster. Washed coffees are denser and take more coax. For those, grind a touch finer and use water right off the boil so you do not under-extract.
How it tastes
Raspberry hits first, bright and clean. Underneath that is a real cocoa weight, the part that reminds you this is still a serious cup and not a fruit experiment. It finishes dry, closer to a glass of white wine than to a sweet dessert coffee.
It is bold but silky. Not sweet. Not jammy. We kept saying the same thing in the cupping room: this drinks like something you would pour in the evening, not just something you reach for half-asleep at 6 a.m.
The CBD & CBG side
We infuse Reis Farm with broad-spectrum CBD from USDA organic, USA-grown hemp, winterized using CO2 extraction. You can pick it up as 300mg CBD per 12oz bag, or as a 150mg CBD plus 150mg CBG split if you want the CBG in the mix. No detectable THC, third-party lab tested, every batch.
How to brew it
Pour-over and drip both show off the fruit, so start there. Keep the roast working for you and the water just off the boil. This coffee is built to taste bright, not roasty, so do not bury it under a heavy extraction. Whole bean or ground, your call at checkout.
So, should you try it?
If you already love our Vietnam Black Lotus or anything from our exotic coffee collection, Reis Farm belongs in your rotation. It is a limited release, grown by one family, processed by hand, and there is only so much of it.
It is roasted in small batches and we restock when we can. Shop Reis Farm, our new Brazilian bean, while this lot lasts.
Reis Farm Coffee Specs
| Detail | Specification |
|---|---|
| Farm | Reis Farm, Brazil |
| Region | Minas Gerais (Sul de Minas) |
| Altitude | 1,100-1,300 meters |
| Variety | Catuai, Mundo Novo |
| Process | Anaerobic natural fermentation |
| Flavor Notes | Dark chocolate, red fruit, brown sugar, wine-like complexity |
| Roast Level | Medium |
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes Brazilian specialty coffee different from commodity Brazilian coffee?
Commodity Brazilian coffee is mass-harvested and blend-graded for consistency. Specialty Brazilian lots come from single farms at higher elevations, are selectively picked at peak ripeness, and score 80+ on the SCA scale. The result is cleaner sweetness, distinct origin character, and traceable sourcing.
What is anaerobic processing and why does it matter?
Anaerobic processing ferments coffee cherries in sealed, oxygen-free tanks. This controlled environment lets producers develop intense fruit and wine-like flavors that open-air methods cannot replicate. It requires precise temperature and pH monitoring, which is why only experienced farms like Reis Farm use it consistently.
Does anaerobic processing change the caffeine content?
No. Caffeine levels depend on the coffee species (Arabica vs Robusta) and roast degree, not fermentation method. Anaerobic processing affects flavor chemistry, specifically organic acids and aromatic compounds, without altering caffeine concentration in any measurable way.
How should I brew Reis Farm coffee to get the best flavor?
A pour-over (V60 or Chemex) at 200-205F with a 1:16 coffee-to-water ratio highlights the wine and fruit notes. For a heavier body, use a French press with a 4-minute steep. Grind medium-fine for pour-over, medium-coarse for French press. Fresh grinding within 30 days of roast gives the best results.
Why did Buddha Beans choose a Brazilian farm for its first single-origin release?
Brazil produces roughly 35% of the world's coffee, but the specialty segment is small and fast-growing. Reis Farm's anaerobic lots stood out for complexity that rivals African coffees at a more accessible price point. Partnering directly with the farm also gave us full traceability from seed to cup.
