Notes from Michael – Brewing Recommendations & Flavour Profile
This Brazilian medium roast single origin specialty coffee is perfect for coffee drinkers who appreciate a comforting, approachable flavor profile with lingering sweetness. Excelent for a breakfast coffee. Whether you’re brewing a single cup or a full pot, this coffee consistently delivers a flavorful, satisfying experience across all filter brewing methods.
This medium-dark roasted Brazilian single origin specialty coffee is crafted to highlight its bold, comforting character, featuring deep notes of dark chocolate, roasted nuts, and a rich hint of molasses. Grown in one of Brazil’s most respected coffee-producing regions, this espresso-focused roast brings out a full body, low acidity, and a lingering, bittersweet finish—ideal for those who enjoy a more developed roast profile without sacrificing complexity or origin clarity.
Roasted with espresso brewing in mind, this coffee delivers excellent crema, smooth extraction, and a cup that’s both intense and approachable. It also performs beautifully as a darker filter coffee for those who prefer a bolder cup with layered sweetness and roasted depth.
Suggested Brewing Methods
To bring out the best of this medium-dark roast, Michael recommends the following espresso and filter brewing methods:
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Espresso Machine
Designed to shine as a classic espresso. Expect a dense, velvety crema, with flavors of molasses, roasted nuts, and bittersweet cocoa. Smooth and bold, perfect as a standalone shot or with milk. -
Moka Pot
A great stovetop method that enhances the coffee’s robust body and emphasizes its deep chocolate and toasty nutflavors. Ideal for an espresso-style brew at home. -
French Press (for filter lovers who enjoy darker roasts)
Brings out the coffee’s heavy body and rich, earthy tones, with a bold mouthfeel and notes of dark chocolate and molasses. Use a coarse grind and longer steep to extract full flavor. -
Batch Brew / Traditional Filter Coffee Machine
For a convenient, consistent brew, this method yields a rounded, smooth cup with deeper roast notes, great for those who prefer stronger filter coffee with a clean finish. -
Pour Over (e.g., V60 or Kalita Wave) (for clarity with roast depth)
Offers more clarity than immersion methods, revealing roasted nut complexity, subtle smokiness, and molasses sweetness—ideal for those who like dark filter coffee without excessive bitterness.
This Brazilian single origin espresso roast is perfect for coffee drinkers who love a darker, richer cup with all the smoothness and structure expected from a quality specialty coffee. Whether you're pulling shots or brewing a bold filter cup, it delivers a consistently satisfying experience with depth, sweetness, and balance.
Brazilian Specialty Coffee with Heart and Heritage
Santos Aquarela is more than just a coffee—it’s a vibrant reflection of Brazil’s rich coffee-growing culture and the dedication of the people who cultivate it. This specialty lot comes to life through the expertise of Exportadora Atlântica, a respected coffee exporter based in Belo Horizonte, the heart of Minas Gerais—one of Brazil’s most iconic coffee regions.
For over a decade, Atlântica has been at the forefront of Brazil’s specialty coffee movement. The company has built its reputation by forming close, long-term relationships with local farms and cooperatives, particularly across Minas Gerais and the Cerrado Mineiro region. These high-quality origins are known for producing coffees with sweet, nutty profiles, low acidity, and a smooth, full body—the quintessential hallmarks of a great Brazilian cup.
What sets Santos Aquarela apart is not just its taste, but the careful attention to every stage of production. From harvest to export, the coffee is subject to rigorous quality control, with Atlântica’s team monitoring each processing step to ensure consistency, cleanliness, and full traceability. This hands-on approach means that every bag of Santos Aquarela represents not just a product, but a promise: a coffee crafted with intention, rooted in transparency, and driven by sustainability.
The name "Aquarela"—Portuguese for “watercolor painting”—evokes the colorful diversity of Brazilian terroir and the delicate balance of flavor in each cup. Just like brushstrokes on a canvas, the elements of chocolate, roasted nuts, and gentle brown sugar sweetness come together in harmony, creating a smooth, balanced brew that’s both comforting and refined.
Santos Aquarela is a testament to Brazil’s unique place in the specialty coffee world—a country where tradition and innovation coexist, and where passionate producers work tirelessly to bring out the best in every bean. Whether you’re enjoying it as a morning pour-over, a classic espresso, or a batch brew in your café, this coffee invites you to slow down and appreciate the craftsmanship in every sip.
Typica, Bourbon & Caturra
The Santos Aquarela coffee is composed of a thoughtfully balanced blend of Typica, Bourbon, and Caturra—three of the most historically significant and flavorful Arabica varieties. These varieties are grown across the fertile highlands of Minas Gerais and Cerrado Mineiro, where ideal climate conditions and rich soil allow each to thrive.
Typica, one of the oldest Arabica lineages, contributes a delicate sweetness and refined acidity, offering a clean, elegant base. Bourbon, known for its natural sweetness and smooth mouthfeel, adds depth with subtle caramel and nutty tones. Caturra, a natural mutation of Bourbon, brings balanced structure, compact fruitiness, and higher productivity, making it both farmer- and roaster-friendly.
Together, these varieties create a harmonious cup profile that captures the essence of Brazilian specialty coffee—chocolatey, sweet, round-bodied, and easy to enjoy across multiple brew methods. This blend of traditional cultivars not only delivers flavor complexity but also reflects the legacy and adaptability of Brazil’s coffee-growing culture.
Natural Processing in Minas Gerais & Cerrado – Tradition Meets Precision
In the sun-drenched landscapes of Minas Gerais and Cerrado Mineiro, natural processing remains a time-honored method that highlights the full-bodied richness and inherent sweetness of Brazilian coffee. This single origin specialty coffee undergoes a carefully managed natural (dry) process, where the cherries are dried whole on patios or raised beds under the region’s consistent, dry climate. This slow, controlled drying allows the fruit's sugars to infuse into the bean, resulting in a cup profile that is sweet, full-bodied, and bursting with notes of chocolate, nuts, and dried fruit.
At Exportadora Atlântica, quality control is paramount. Every stage of the post-harvest process—from cherry selection to drying and storage—is closely monitored and documented, ensuring clean, consistent results and full traceability back to the farm or cooperative. This dedication to excellence guarantees that each lot meets strict specialty coffee standards, delivering not only on flavor but also on sustainability and transparency.
Natural processing from this region brings out the best of Brazilian single origin coffee—a balance of tradition, innovation, and exceptional cup quality that’s trusted by roasters and loved by coffee drinkers worldwide.
