PAULO AGUALETTI

Paulo Agualetti – Brazilian Natural Bourbon

Suitable for: Espresso & Filter Brewing
Best As: Filter or Espresso (Black)

Flavour Characteristics

Ripe figs, golden raisin, milk chocolate, Sweet AF

Origin & Producer Details

Producer: Paulo Agualetti
Farm: Sitio Agua Fria
Region: Divinolandia
Variety: Red Bourbon
Process: Natural
Q-Score: 87
Sourced via: Cargo Coffee

Recommended Rest

For the best tasting brew out of this specialty coffee from Brazil, we'd suggest resting this for 18–35 days off roast — we wrote a coffee blog on this here.

Browse all Single Origin coffee beans

About This Coffee

It is usually assumed that most Brazilian coffee comes from very big farms, however the reality is that about 80% of Brazilian coffee comes from small producers, like Paulo. It’s simply that they don’t have a direct route to roasters, and so their product is sold to co-ops or larger producers who sell it as their own “single estate” or blend it, even if it is a high scoring single origin.

Paulo’s father was a coffee producer, so he grew up learning and understanding the family business. When a small plot with the ideal altitude, aspect and soil for growing great coffee became available in Divinolândia, Paulo acquired it and began producing coffee on his own.

Having a farm with great terroir isn’t enough to produce high scoring coffee on its own, though. It takes commitment, expertise, a lot of hard work and a desire to turn the opportunity that the land presents into an exceptional final product. It is a risk, but it is one that is paying off for Paulo. Paulo grows and processes his coffee himself, with a little help during the harvest from his brother. He is dedicated to his craft, and by connecting him directly to roasters he can be properly rewarded for that dedication, and his excellent final product.

About Divinolandia

Divinolandia sits on the border between São Paulo and Minas Gerais and is known for its fertile soil and rolling mountainous terrain. Coffee grown here often produces sweet, chocolate-driven cups with gentle fruit characteristics.

Paulo Agualetti's Farm

Paulo Agualetti owns a 4 hectare farm, which is small by Brazilian standards. Even with a very decent planting density of 3,000 plants per hectare, this equates to about 35 sacks per hectare. This year, we bought about 1/4 of the total harvest from Paulo's farm, at around 2000kg, supporting smallholder farms.

This Particular Lot

This particular lot is 100% Red Bourbon. It is a Brazilian natural coffee.

We also featured a 100% Catucai which appeared on the offer list before this one, but of the two, this is a higher grade of coffee, and generally considered the more premium offering. We didn't offer them at the same time, as we didn't want to overshadow Paulo's Catucai (which was utterly gorgeous!) but this bourbon is a beautiful reminder to just how excellent Brazilian coffee can be.

Why We Work With Cargo Coffee

When purchasing this coffee, we were immediately impressed by the higher clarity that buying from a single farm has been able to offer us, when compared to community lots that we have tried in the past. Phil, who owns Coffee Cargo, has become an integral part of our Brazilian coffee sourcing, connecting us with exceptional producers like Paulo.

Phil has an encyclopaedic knowledge of each farm he works with and the exceptional care and attention he devoted to the traceability package for each coffee has been a breath of fresh air.

Processing

What is Natural Processing?

Whole cherries are dried in beds before hulling, often producing fruit-forward flavours and more body.

Preparation Guidance

Preparing this coffee depends a little bit on your equipment and your water quality.

This coffee works beautifully as both espresso and filter brewing.

Espresso

We have enjoyed this coffee best at 18g dose, 40g out, brewed in about 28 seconds.

Filter

For filter brewing we recommend starting around a 1:16 ratio. A faster brew time tends to provide higher clarity flavours with coffees like this.

FAQs

Is this coffee good for espresso?

Yes — this coffee is suitable for espresso and produces a sweet and balanced shot with dried fruit and chocolate notes.

Can I brew this as filter?

Absolutely. It performs extremely well as a black filter coffee with lots of clarity and sweetness.

Why rest this coffee for 18–35 days?

Resting allows the roasted CO₂ to outgas, helping sweetness and clarity develop in the cup.

Why did you buy from Paulo?

Smallholders like Paulo often don't have direct access to the specialty market. Working with partners like Cargo Coffee allows us to connect with exceptional producers and bring coffees like this to you.

Explore Other Coffees

Arturo Arango – A phenomenally complex Thermal Shock Anaerobic Natural Sidra from Arturo Arango.

• Kibaya — Rwanda washed Red Bourbon. A very high-clarity washed lot with citrusy and black tea characteristics.
• Luis Anibal - An incredibly complex natural Java from the wizard of Huila himself, Luis Anibal Calderon!
• La Divisa - An unbelievably high quality Gesha from Diofanor Ruiz. An exceptionally floral washed coffee.

Luis Anibal – A complex natural Java from Huila produced by Luis Anibal Calderon.

Browse all Single Origin coffee beans