Cool Cat from Sprout Coffee Roasters is exactly the kind of coffee you reach for when you want an everyday espresso but don’t want to get bored. The flavor profile features nuts, milk chocolate, and a subtle strawberry undertone that gives the coffee a pleasant sparkle. The body is fuller, slightly spicy, and beautifully creamy.
The coffee comes from Brazil, specifically from the Carmo da Cachoeira area in the Minas Gerais region. It’s produced by the Cocatrel Cooperative, a group that brings together local farmers and helps them distribute their coffee with consistent quality. Sprout describes it as its new “daily driver” and also one of the most frequently served coffees. And it makes sense—Brazil in this style offers exactly what you want from a laid-back espresso: sweetness, fullness, a subtle nuttiness, and a flavor that blends beautifully with milk.
The variety is Catuai, and the coffee grows at an altitude of 900–1,100 meters above sea level. The processing is natural, meaning the coffee cherries are dried whole, including the pulp. This allows more sweetness, roundness, and fruity character to develop in the bean during drying. In Cool Cat, this method is mainly reflected in a fuller body, chocolate creaminess, and a subtle strawberry note that takes the coffee a step beyond the typical nutty-chocolatey espresso. The natural processing here doesn’t come across as wild or fermented; rather, it pleasantly rounds out the flavor and gives the coffee a soft, sweet finish. The result is an espresso that’s pleasant to drink, great with milk, and interesting enough that you won’t get tired of it.