Brazil Macauba Estate

Brazil coffee first and foremost shines as espresso. If you have an aeropress or espresso machine, Brazil should be one of the coffees you keep around. But not all Brazils are equal, and the nicer Brazils are also enjoyable as drip coffee or as part of a coffee blend. This Brazil comes from a single estate in the Minas Gerais region, which is a bit north of the common Mogiana and Cerrado regions. It has a softer, less harsh presence in coffee blends, offering some notes of lime and red wine and yellow plum to your espresso or coffee blends, along with a full body, and not as much earthy character as the cheaper Brazils. It still has a definite Brazil coffee character, you'll note it in the aftertaste, that flavor you just don't pick up from other origins -- but it's not as harsh and earthy and thin as the cheaper Brazilian coffees.

This is a natural-processed coffee which gives it more complexity, but you don't roast it like a natural process -- you still crank it up and take it medium to dark. It is all the Topazio varietal grown at 3600 feet altitude, and it is all from the Macauba Estate. The farmer's name is Vitor Marcelo and he processes the coffee on-site to control the quality.

I still suggest that Brazil is best suited as an espresso base. Try it 15 seconds into the 2nd cracks, and use it in your espresso blend anywhere from 40% to 80%, adding a little African and Indonesian for the remainder of your blend. But if you like that distinct taste of a Brazilian coffee, this is one you can drink, either as a single origin or in a blend.

US arrival: November 2023