Brazil Sul De Minas Catiguia Direct Trade

THE CHOSEN BEAN • BRAZILIAN SPECIALTY COFFEE

The Direct Trade — Brazil Sul de Minas Catiguá

Medium Roast • 100% Arabica • A Family Connection from Farm to Roaster

Discover Brazilian coffee with a story as memorable as its flavor. The Chosen Bean’s Sul de Minas Catiguá Direct Trade brings together inviting aromas of caramel and chocolate with tasting notes of cocoa butter, vanilla, and red fruits.

Scoring 86 points, this medium roast connects your daily cup with a three-generation coffee-growing family in the mountains of Minas Gerais, Brazil. It is a coffee shaped by care at the farm and thoughtful roasting at The Chosen Bean.

Aromas of Caramel. Notes Worth Savoring.

Caramel and chocolate aromas introduce a cup with notes of cocoa butter and vanilla, complemented by red-fruit character. This combination gives Sul de Minas Catiguá an appealing balance of familiar Brazilian coffee flavors and a fruity dimension to explore.

Our medium roast brings these characteristics together in a coffee you can enjoy as part of your morning routine or take a little more time to appreciate.

Tasting notes describe the coffee’s sensory characteristics; individual impressions may vary with brewing method and preparation.

From Farm to Roaster, Rooted in Relationships

Every coffee has a place it comes from. This coffee carries the story of Mara Madeira’s family, whose roots run deep in Brazil’s Sul de Minas region—and a woman who found the strength to carry that legacy forward.

At The Chosen Bean, our relationship with Mara Madeira Coffee connects our roastery with the people who grow and care for the coffee. It gives us a deeper understanding of each harvest and a story we are proud to share with you.

Three Generations in the Mountains of Brazil

Between Nova Resende and Muzambinho, in the mountains of Minas Gerais, Mara’s family has been producing coffee for more than 65 years. Across three generations, knowledge has passed from one harvest to the next, guided by a lasting connection to the land.

Today, Mara manages the farms alongside her mother, Maria Julia. Together, they continue the family’s work while bringing new ideas and possibilities to its next chapter.

The Woman Who Carried the Farm Forward

Maria Julia’s life changed in 2007 when her husband passed away. She was just 36 years old and worked as a bridal dress designer. The farm had been a place she visited for leisure, and she had never planned to run a coffee-growing operation.

She chose to take it on—and began learning from the ground up.

Season after season, Maria Julia built her knowledge of coffee production and the experience needed to guide the farms forward. She became a respected producer and a source of inspiration for other women farmers in the region.

Today, mother and daughter work side by side, bringing resilience, care, and a shared commitment to every harvest.

Care for the Coffee and the Land

The family grows 100% Arabica coffee across approximately 100 hectares, at elevations reaching 1,250 meters. Alongside Catiguá, their farms grow varieties including Bourbon, Yellow and Red Catuaí, Catucaí, and Mundo Novo.

Their attention extends from tending the trees to processing and carefully drying the coffee cherries. Each stage contributes to the quality and character of the harvest.

The family uses regenerative farming practices, composting, and shaded areas. Solar energy has powered the farm since 2021, and more than 20% of the property is preserved as native forest and legal reserve.

For Mara and Maria Julia, caring for the farm means thinking about the generations still to come.

What Direct Trade Means to Us

Mara and her partner, Diego, founded Xpresso America Trading Company to bring their family’s coffee closer to roasters in the United States. Their company manages exporting from Brazil, along with importing, storing, and delivering the coffee in the U.S.

This creates a direct connection between the producing family and roasting partners like The Chosen Bean. It allows us to share feedback, learn about the harvest, and better understand the work behind each coffee.

For us, direct trade means knowing the people behind the coffee and building a relationship that continues from one harvest to the next.

A Family Committed to Quality

Alongside their traditional Brazilian natural coffees, Mara and her family continue to explore processing and fermentation techniques that reveal different expressions of the farm.

In the family’s first entry into the Cup of Excellence Brazil, one of their lots advanced to the finals—a meaningful milestone in their ongoing work as coffee producers.

From Their Farm to Your Cup

At The Chosen Bean, our role is to roast with care, bringing forward the character that Mara, Maria Julia, and their team have worked to develop at the farm.

With its 86-point score, caramel and chocolate aromas, and notes of cocoa butter, vanilla, and red fruits, our Brazil Sul de Minas Catiguá Direct Trade offers a flavorful introduction to that shared commitment.

Three generations of growing. A direct relationship. A story worth sharing in every cup.