Capturing the essence of the Brazilian cafezinho
In Brazil, coffee is deeply ingrained within everyday life. A ‘cafezinho’ or ‘small coffee’ in Brazilian Portuguese is almost a synonym for ‘welcome’. The offer of coffee made the moment one enters a household or business, creates an instant personal connection over this treasured beverage. Inspired by the deep and vibrant coffee culture in Brazil, Nespresso has created Cafezinho do Brasil, a distinctive and intense Limited Edition Grand Cru.
Cafezinho do Brasil has been designed to reflect the best sensorial qualities of a Brazilian cafezinho. Nespresso coffee experts spoke with Brazilians to discover the flavour and aromas associated with their ideal cafezinho. Building on these local preferences and taking inspiration from the nation’s rich coffee culture, the coffee connoisseurs at Nespresso developed a powerful Grand Cru that captures the essence of cafezinho.
Alexis Rodriguez, Head of Coffee Development at Nespresso, explained, “The Brazilian locals taught us that the preferred coffee profile had bitterness, roasted notes and a very distinctive aroma. In order to capture these notes, identified by Nespresso as walnut, sandalwood and herbal, we carefully selected Arabica beans from Southern Brazil. It is in the state of Espirito Santo, near the sea, that the air has a high level of humidity which helps to develop these special notes within the coffee cherries. We worked closely with the farmers who handpicked the coffee beans which specifically carried the distinctive notes.”
Pure origin Arabica blend from Brazil
As with all Nespresso Grands Crus, careful and considered sourcing was an essential factor when developing Cafezinho do Brasil. As a Pure Origin coffee, all of the green coffee has been sourced from Brazil. A pleasantly bitter blend of select Arabica beans from the Cerrado district (Minas Gerais state) and Espirito Santo state in southern Brazil, it is enhanced by pulped natural, sweet Bourbon from Carmo de Minas and Poços de Caldas. Nespresso agronomists worked alongside the farmers, discussing their current practices and demonstrating a specific Arabica harvesting technique to strip only the ripe beans without letting them come into contact with any earth to retain the particular flavour needed for Cafezinho do Brasil.
Intense flavour with unexpected notes
Cafezinho do Brasil delivers an intense, velvety textured cup with an unexpected walnut and sandalwood aroma, and unusual herbal notes reminiscent of thyme or rosemary. It has an intensity of 9, on the Nespresso intensity scale of 1 to 12.
To accentuate their distinctive notes, Espirito Santo Arabica beans are roasted lighter with a shorter roasting time. The other beans are roasted longer and darker, to enhance body, intensity and bitterness.
Designed for a 40ml cup, Cafezinho do Brasil can also be enjoyed with milk. Adjust the coffee serving size to 25ml to create a delicious cappuccino that is a sweet sensation of salty, bitter and toasted notes reminiscent of salted peanuts. Or, add 40ml of coffee to 100ml of frothed milk to create a latte macchiato with sweet, round walnut notes and a light smoky aftertaste.
Cafezinho do Brasil is available for a limited period from Nespresso boutiques worldwide, as well as through orders from the Nespresso Customer Care Centres and online.
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