Cachoeira Da Grama – Brazil

About the Coffee

Cachoeira da Grama has been in Gabriel de Carvalho Dias's family since 1890, when his great-grandmother first purchased the land in Vale da Grama, Brazil. Gabriel is an agronomic engineer by training, which informs how he manages the farm today. The farm sits between 1,000 and 1,200 meters on mineral-rich volcanic soil, and grows five varieties: Bourbon, Catuai, Catucai, Mundo Novo, and Arara.

Gabriel uses a pulped natural process, where the outer skin of the coffee cherry is removed but the fruit's sticky mucilage is left on the bean to dry. This sits between a fully washed coffee and a natural, and tends to produce a denser, rounder cup. The farm has earned multiple Cup of Excellence awards, the most recognized competition in specialty coffee. Beyond the coffee itself, Gabriel has built a school, club, soccer field, and housing on the property for employees and their families.

Gabriel has been a direct trade partner with Pilot since 2013, making this one of their longest-standing producer relationships. His coffees have been a core part of Pilot's lineup for over a decade.

About Pilot

Andy Wilkin and Jessie Holmes opened Te Aro Roasted in May 2009 in Toronto's Leslieville neighbourhood, operating out of a former car garage. Andy, a Q Grader (a certified coffee quality evaluator), had grown up in Te Aro, Wellington, New Zealand, and wanted to bring that cafe culture to Toronto. The name Pilot Coffee Roasters came in 2013, when roasting operations moved to a larger facility on Wagstaff Drive.

Pilot puts a strong emphasis on long-term producer relationships. Rather than sourcing opportunistically, they return to the same farms year after year, which is part of why Gabriel de Carvalho Dias has been a partner of theirs since their earliest days.