1kg Brazil - Marco A. Guardabaxo

We love to explore the full delicious spectrum of flavours specialty coffee has to offer, but we also know there’s a time and a place for a mug of something easy and familiar. This is a seasonal, single-origin fully traceable Brazil with an easy drinking profile: nutty, chocolatey, mellow, sweet and full bodied. It’ll be an easy dial-in and a crowd pleaser with or without milk.

Our Brazil is only available in the great value 1kg size or as a subscription. If you want little and often you can get our Basecamp Subscription HERE. Available as whole bean only. 

Tasting Notes: Rich and chocolatey, a classic Brazilian profile. We’re tasting hazelnut, milk chocolate wafer and dried figs, with a creamy mouthfeel and smooth texture.

Producer: Marco A. Guardabaxo Region: São José do Rio Pardo Altitude: 800-900 masl Varietal: Obatá Process: Natural

Landed UK: Autumn 2025

From the São José do Rio Pardo region comes the first coffee we have sourced through Brazil based importer Ocafi. This lot was produced by Marco A.Guardabaxo and Maria Silva, who have owned Fazenda Pinheiro since 2003. Having started with only 9.5 hectares of coffee trees they now support 11 families on the farm who cover 140 hectares of crops.

We selected a natural process Obatá variety from Marco, a rarer cultivar that delivers not only the rich chocolate and nutty notes we expect from Brazil but also a more fruity profile that reminds us of dried figs and raisins, which leads to a more complex and delicious espresso.

Obatá

Obatá is a cultivar that was developed by the Instituto Agronomico (IAC) of Sao Paulo State in Campinas, Brazil back in 2000. It was quickly adopted by farmers in the southern coffee producing regions of Brazil due to its unique flavour profile, high yield and resistance to common diseases, such as leaf rust. Later in 2014 it was taken further afield to Costa Rica as it also has the ability to be grown well at various altitudes and climates. It is a cross between the Timor Hybrid and Villa Sarchi, making it a part of the well-known Sarchimor cultivar group.

Marco A. Guardabaxo

Marco A.Guardabaxo and Maria Silva worked on Fazenda Pinheiro for many years, Marco helped his father Paolo with the crops on the farm while also doing his own studying and attending to his pig herds. Maria had a position in the fazendas office as an assistant. Then in 2003 Marco and Maria acquired Fazenda Pinheiro from Ruben Pinheiro and originally planted 9.5 hectares of coffee trees. Since then, Marco has been using his knowledge of agronomy to consistently renovate and expand the fazenda. Now in 2026 they have 140 hectares of crops and support 11 families who run the day to day operations. He has also implemented more modern farm infrastructure and Pinheiro is home to Ocafi’s lab, the Ocafi office and a roastery.

A total of 10 different varieties are currently grown on Pinheiro and these lots are either processed naturally or with experimental fermentation. From Mundo Novo to Pacamara and Gesha, Fazenda Pinheiro offers a range of quality micro-lots and rich blends.

Fazenda Pinheiro

Pinheiro is committed to maintaining environmentally sustainable practices, Marco and Luis utilise their pig herds to produce both bio energy, for Pinheiro and two neighbouring farms, and organic fertiliser for their coffee plantation. The Mata Atlantica Project started on Fazenda Pinheiro and in the coming years will grow to Sao Domingos and Matao. Alongside the beautiful native trees, the farm is host to a wide array of wildlife, such as Cervos, Tucanos, Quati, and Seriemas. 

To reduce the farms water usage a rainwater drip-irrigation system has been installed throughout the fazenda which also ensures the consistent development and quality of the cherries. All trees up to the age of 6 years (or those larger than 1.5 meters) are harvested manually, with the older trees being harvested mechanically in a two-step process. Pinheiro has a total of 2,160m² of terraces where the fruits

Produced by Marco A. Guardabaxo in the São José do Rio Pardo region, this Brazil lot showcases the distinct characteristics of the Obatá varietal. As a natural-processed coffee, this selection benefits from the processing methods that typically allow the fruit to impart sweetness and body directly into the bean during drying. Grown at 800-900 masl, the cup profile is defined by the roaster, Steampunk Coffee, as featuring notes of hazelnut, milk chocolate wafer, and dried figs.

When evaluating such profiles, it is helpful to consult the flavor wheel to better identify the nuances between nutty and confectionery descriptors. This coffee serves as a classic example of the regional output found in Brazil · São José do Rio Pardo, where traditional processing techniques are often employed to highlight the inherent richness of the harvest. By focusing on the interplay between the Obatá varietal and the natural process, this lot offers a balanced, approachable experience for those who enjoy deep, chocolate-forward profiles.