Flores de Miñas, Brazil, Natural, Espresso

Flores de Minas is a distinctive Brazilian coffee, roasted by Uncommon Coffee Roasters specifically for espresso. The name literally means "flowers of Minas" and refers to its origin in Minas Gerais. This coffee comes from a collective of female coffee farmers who have formed a premium lot under the Donas do Caféprogram. The result is a versatile espresso with a sweet, approachable flavour that delights many coffee enthusiasts.

Flores de Minas comes from several female coffee farmers in the Sul de Minas region, in the south of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Through the Donas do Caféinitiative of exporter SMC, these women pool their strengths to bring their coffee to the specialty market together. The collaboration gives them a stronger position and access to agricultural training and guidance, helping them build a successful coffee business.

Minas Gerais, the state where Sul de Minas is located, is Brazil's largest coffee-growing region, producing up to 30 million bags per year. The coffee for Flores de Minas grows on mid-altitude plateaus around 975-1200 metres above sea level. The mild climate and rolling terrain are ideal for coffee cultivation. This terroir yields consistently high-quality beans that form the basis of this special collective harvest from smallholder farms.

Flores de Minas is roasted to an espresso profile, meaning the beans are taken slightly darker to develop a full body and sweet flavour. Brazilian coffee is particularly suited to a medium-dark roast; the beans stay mild and balanced without becoming bitter quickly. Many espresso blends therefore use Brazilian beans, because they hold their flavour well at this deeper roast. Here it results in an approachable espresso with low acidity and plenty of chocolate-rich sweetness.

This coffee shines with a sweet, comforting flavour profile. Uncommon describes it as a true 'crowd-pleaser' with tasting notes of honeycomb, nuts and chocolate. Like many Brazilian coffees it has a full body and low acidity, with intense natural sweetness and notes of caramel, roasted nuts and cocoa. Every sip is delightfully smooth and creamy, dessert-like yet without sharp edges.

Flores de Minas is a natural processed coffee, which means the beans are dried in their whole cherry after picking instead of being washed. In this lot that happens in special static drying boxes for an even, controlled drying of the coffee cherries. This water-free drying technique accentuates the coffee's natural sweetness and body. In Brazil dry (natural) processing is very common, because it adds extra layers of flavour and a fuller mouthfeel to the beans.

The coffee varieties used in this blend are Red Catuaí and Yellow Catuaí. Catuaí is an Arabica cultivar developed in Brazil in the 1950s as a cross between Mundo Novo and Caturra. It is a real workhorse: a compact shrub with very high yield and therefore ubiquitous on Brazilian coffee farms. Catuaí is known for balanced, approachable flavours with notes of chocolate and nuts and mild acidity. These traits are clearly present in the profile of the Flores de Minas espresso.

A striking aspect of Flores de Minas is the role of the female producers behind this coffee. The name of the project, Donas do Cafémeans “the women of coffee”. Through this initiative, several female farmers in Sul de Minas pool their strengths to jointly market their specialty coffee. The women receive a platform and training to strengthen their business and carve out a place in the coffee market. This not only promotes their economic independence but also brings recognition for their craftsmanship.

Behind the scenes, exporter SMC is heavily involved in sustainability and quality. They employ a team of about 40 agronomists who support smallholder farmers with training, innovation, and advice. Everything is meticulously monitored—from soil health and plant care to harvest and processing—to further improve quality each year. SMC even provides high-tech traceability: coffee bags are fitted with microchips so every lot can be tracked back to its source. The roaster Uncommon also contributes to a fair supply chain by paying a premium on top of the market price for this special coffee. As a result, a larger share of the proceeds flows back to the farming community.

This coffee shows its best character when prepared as a straight espresso. The roast is specifically tuned for espresso extraction, concentrating the rich flavours in the cup. The full honey and nut notes make this Brazilian espresso particularly suitable for milk drinks such as cappuccino. The sweet taste holds its ground and, with steamed milk, forms a flavourful whole reminiscent of caramel.

For those who like to experiment, there are alternative brew methods that suit these beans well. A slow cold brew (cold extraction) for instance yields a wonderfully smooth, refreshing iced coffee that highlights the mildly sweet qualities beautifully. A French press also works well thanks to the low acidity: this method draws out the chocolate-like fullness of the Brazilian beans for a round and gentle cup.

Flores de Minas achieved a cupping score of around 83–84 out of 100, well above the specialty threshold. Within SMC this lot was also selected for their internal “Especialíssimo” quality program, which recognizes the season’s finest coffees. To illustrate the level, SMC has even hosted the prestigious Cup of Excellence competition in the past, underlining the strong focus on excellence. Uncommon itself calls Flores de Minas a ‘crowd-pleaser’ – a coffee that almost everyone enjoys.

Uncommon packages this coffee in a sleek, modernly designed bag (see image). The style is minimalist yet warm, in line with the Scandinavian-inspired aesthetic the Amsterdam roaster is known for. The label clearly lists all details, from origin to flavour profile. The beans are delivered whole, and the bag features a freshness valve to preserve the aroma. Notably, besides the standard 250-gram bags, Uncommon also offers a 6-kg bucket for heavy users. Such a reusable bulk package underscores the practical and sustainable mindset of the branding.

Flores de Minas was available at Uncommon in several sizes. A 250-gram bag cost about €12, while a 6-kg bulk container was offered for roughly €210. The coffee is now sold out on the website, likely because it was a seasonal lot from a specific harvest. Interested readers can look forward to a possible new edition in the future – depending on availability at the producers.