Brazil – Golden Lantern Coffee Roasters

While much of the coffee that comes out of Brazil is plantation-style commodity coffee, they also have some very unique and exciting coffees. Recently I’ve been very impressed with the few naturally-processed coffees I’ve tried from Brazil. This direct-trade coffee from the California roaster, Golden Lantern, was one of those coffees.

The coffee began was a smooth & sweet fragrance full of chocolate & caramel. The flavor reminded me of slightly bitter dark chocolate, hazelnuts and lime citrus. The citrus presented itself most in the acidity, which was bright & strong at the front, as well as slightly sharp. The body was smooth and overall the coffee was very well-balanced. The sweetness was full of caramel notes and the citrus carried through into the sweetness as well. As the coffee cooled the acidity lessened and it became smoother and creamier—an evolution I don’t usually find in coffees and I really enjoyed. Overall the evolution from the sharpness at the beginning to the smoother, creamier coffee as it cooled was unexpected and a lot of fun to explore.

The Bottom Line

As I mentioned at the top, naturally processed Brazilian coffees have been a fun treat to explore recently. They bridge a nice middle zone between more exotic African coffees and more balanced/traditional Central/South American coffees. I really enjoyed this coffee and think its a very approachable option—especially for someone who enjoys more traditional coffees and is looking to expand their horizons a bit.