Why are coffees from Piatã, Bahia so special?

Piatã, a town located between two mountain ranges, and close to Diamantina Plateau National Park, is the highest point in Bahia, at 1,400m above sea level. The high altitudes and temperatures that vary from 2°C to 18°C in the winter make Piatã a very unique and privileged coffee growing region in Brazil. The area is situated in the latitude 13º South, closer to the Equador line than the traditional coffee regions in Brazil, such as Minas Gerais and Sao Paulo. That’s why producers from Piatã can grown coffee in higher altitudes without worrying about frost.

All these factors, combined with the area’s rich soil and intensive care are favourable to producing high quality coffee. Renato, owner of Fazenda Vista Alegri, says that due to the climate, he is able to delay the ripeness process and that is the reason why his coffee is able to embody so many sugars.

For over a century, this area was famous by its gemstones (specially Diamonds) and beautiful mountain scenery. Today, the region is notorious for its specialty coffee, attracting enthusiasts from all over the world. Coffees from Piatã have a cup profile that is very distinctive, bright and transparent. Other notes normally found are molasses, citric fruits, red fruits, intense aroma and high complexity. They are real hidden gems.

The region started to gain international recognition since the 2009 Cup of Excellence, where half of the top 10 coffees were from there. In 2015 Cup of Excellence, the first and second place where also from Piatã. Last year, in the 2016 COE Pulped Naturals there was a complete dominance in the awards, an astonishing 19 out of 24 winning coffees came from the little town in Bahia!