NL Caracolito Parelkoffie
| Price per 1kg. |
€ 38,00 |
|---|---|
| Price updated: |
20th Sep 2025 |
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Door te kiezen voor een verpakking van 250 gram |
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Beans Parameters
Roast Levels: Dark roast
Roasting Methods: Drum roasting
Caffeine: With caffeine
Sorts: ARABICA
Processing methods: Natural
Additional
Caracolito Parelkoffie is a rare single-origin Arabica from Brazil, known as a peaberry with a single rounded bean. Because of its compact shape the bean roasts evenly, at Simon Lévelt usually to a dark roast for a full espresso flavour. Expect bright citrus and nutty notes, with aromas of toasted bread and caramel and a chestnut-brown crema. The pulped natural method enhances the coffee's natural sweetness. The coffee is organically certified and comes from sustainable trading relationships with fair prices. Suitable for espresso, lungo, moka pot and milk-based coffees, with balanced acidity and gentle bitterness. Available as beans or ground in 250 grams.
More About Caracolito Parelkoffie
Origin and farm
- Caracolito Parelkoffie is a single-origin coffee from Brazil, likely sourced from the Minas Gerais region.
- The name refers to the bean’s unique round shape (peaberry), comparable to a snail’s shell.
- This type of bean was discovered, for example, at Hacienda Cocollar in Caripe (Venezuela), grown at an altitude of 900–1400 meters.
- The Caracolito berry contains only a single bean (peaberry), which concentrates its nutrients and ensures an even roast.
- It is a special variety that occurs only sporadically: each year only a small portion of the cherries produces such a single bean.
Roast profile
- Simon Lévelt roasts this coffee predominantly dark, typical for an espresso character. Dark-roasted beans deliver the richest, most pronounced flavour.
- Thanks to its compact, round pearl shape, the bean roasts more evenly than normal beans, making the flavour even more homogeneous.
- Some sources refer to Caracolito beans as a medium roast for a milder character, but at Simon the focus is on a full, dark roast.
- The coffee has a normal strength/intensity, making it powerful without becoming extremely bitter.
- All beans are 100% Arabica and organically roasted, resulting in a clean and full profile without artificial additives.
Flavor and aroma
- Caracolito is known for its fresh fruity and nutty notes. Cafedeal describes a unique flavour with hints of citrus and nuts.
- In a tasting it was reported that the coffee has an aroma of toasted bread and light caramel.
- The crema (foam layer) is chestnut brown and gives a soft, hazelnut-like impression.
- The flavor balance is pleasantly fresh with good acidity and a gentle bitterness in the finish.
- The body is light yet full-flavored, with a smooth finish enhanced by the bean’s natural sweetness.
Processing Method
- The coffee is usually processed as pulped natural (semi-washed). In this method ripe cherries are picked, depulped, and then dried with the mucilage still clinging to the bean.
- During the pulped natural method the sugars in the pulp migrate into the bean as it dries, creating extra sweet aromas.
- According to some sources (such as at Hacienda Cocollar) Caracolito beans are processed washed, but in Brazil the pulped natural approach is common.
- Unripe and defective cherries are hand-sorted out before drying, ensuring that only the best beans carry the Caracolito name.
- The special pairwise drying process ensures each individual bean retains its full flavor: after drying, the bean stays enclosed in parchment until it is roasted.
Variety
- Caracolito beans are always 100 % Arabica. There is no Robusta in this blend.
- Common varietals include Moka (a Typica relative) in Brazil, and Typica, Bourbon and Caturra in Venezuela.
- Unique about the Caracolito is that it is a peaberry, instead of two seeds, each fruit contains exactly one round bean.
- This peaberry variant is also called "Café Perla" in Spanish. The bean itself is often slightly higher in sweet acidity than regular beans.
- The variety used differs by region, but everywhere the single round-bean mutation yields a rare, singular Arabica (often a Moka/Typica hybrid).
Sustainability and ethics
- Simon Lévelt is a pioneer in organic cultivation and fair trade, which is why the Caracolito is 100% organically certified (EU organic logo).
- The brand highlights sustainable trade relationships with farmers and helps them transition to organic farming methods.
- Simon Lévelt also stands for fair trade and social projects in the growing regions, paying attention to fair prices and working conditions.
- In its own shops Simon Lévelt encourages reusable packaging, customers can, for example, bring their own bag ("package-free shopping").
- The packaging carries the green EU organic logo and origin information, underscoring its sustainability focus and organic certification.
Brewing Recommendations
- This dark-roasted coffee shines best as an espresso, try, for instance, 7-9 g per shot brewed at about 93°C (as in a test extraction of 25 ml in 24 s).
- Caracolito is also suited to full-bodied brewing methods, lungo (regular grind) and Moka pot are great options.
- Because of its natural sweetness and milder acidity, the coffee also performs well in milk drinks such as cappuccino or latte.
- For filter coffee, use a slightly coarser grind; the coffee will then retain its aromatic citrus and nut character.
- In general, a strong brew is recommended (dark roast) so that the complex flavour can fully unfold in your cup.
Awards or reviews
- As far as is known, Caracolito Parelkoffie has not yet won any official awards or medals.
- No customer reviews or scores can be found on review sites—for example, Cafendo lists “no ratings found yet” for this coffee.
- Simon Lévelt categorises this coffee as specialty (high-grade) Arabica. In their terms, that means a Q-grader score above 80 points.
- The organic certification (“green leaf”) is a quality mark, not an award. It does, however, guarantee a high environmental quality of the product.
- In short, there are (as yet) no public cupping scores or industry awards. The supplier itself does, however, emphasise the premium quality.
Packaging design
- Caracolito Parelkoffie is supplied in a 250-gram bag bearing the Simon Lévelt logo.
- The packaging lists all key details: country of origin (Brazil), flavour signature (citrus, nuts) and roast intensity (medium).
- The pouch is organically certified and carries the green EU organic logo, in line with Simon’s focus on sustainable packaging solutions.
- Simon Lévelt invests in innovative, eco-friendly packaging; for example, this coffee bag may be recyclable or engineered for long-lasting freshness.
- Customers are also encouraged to bring their own containers (zero-waste shopping), which aligns with the brand’s sustainable philosophy.
Availability and price
- Caracolito Parelkoffie is available as whole beans (250 g) or ground coffee through Simon Lévelt’s webshop and specialty stores.
- The recommended price is €9.50 for 250 grams, which works out to roughly €38 per kilo.
- The recent price chart shows a slight drop: a month ago the bag was about €10, now around €9.50.
- On comparison sites this product is currently offered only by Simon Lévelt, indicating limited distribution.
- Because it is a single-origin specialty product, it is mainly available through Simon Lévelt itself (Netherlands/Belgium) and may occasionally appear as a limited edition.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.