Subscription: Elisa and Gabriel Lamounier
A Note from Paolo
"Releasing a coffee into the open is a daunting task. In 2023 alone, we rejected 63 coffees for every coffee we added to the menu. This is increasingly becoming more difficult: as the specialty market continues to grow in Asia, more and more exporters are turning their eyes away from the US. Because of this, we are rethinking our sourcing strategies, and are turning to new, exciting partnerships with brokers at origin who are able to air-freight coffees from the farm to our roastery in very little time. This is also exciting for quality: we can accept, prepare, and roast fresher, denser green coffee on a scale that is so much higher than traditional ocean freight. This coffee you'll be drinking today is one of those coffees. I hope you enjoy it for its freshness and unique qualities.
Who was this purchased from?
Elisa and Gabriel Lamounier run a former Cup of Excellence farm called Fazenda Guariroba. This was brokered and imported by Sylwia Padiasek of Ocafi
Elisa and Gabriel Lamounier in front of a cafe (pic via their IG)
But I thought Brazilian coffee was...
Only for commodity distribution? While a large portion of Brazilian coffee is produced with the commodity market in mind, many producers are turning their eyes towards world-level quality. Please check out the Cup of Excellence Auction and the Daterra Masterpiece Auction to take a look at some examples of recent outturns.
What should I look for when I drink this?
This coffee has an incredible amount of zest and personality. The Lamounier's have done a really lovely job balancing the extrinsic process "red honey" to bring out the varietal's natural velvet-like mouthfeel. When brewed well, we experience a lingering shiso/lemongrass like quality that adds a lovely complexity to the cup.