About the coffee
- Cupping notes: Well-rounded acidity, pleasant sweetness, good body and complexity, with notes of brown sugar, milk chocolate, and plum
- Cultivation: sustainably grown in Poco Fundo, in the Sul de Minas region of Brazil
- Altitude: 3,600 feet
- Tree type: Mundo Novo, Yellow Catuai, Red Catuai
- Preparation: Natural processed, sun-dried
About the people who grow it
Top and bottom photos: provided by Royal Coffee NY. All rights reserved.
Legender Especial is a blend of coffees grown in the unique micro-regions of Machado, Poco Fundo and Campestre, in Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Most coffee regions in Brazil are known for large flatland coffee plantations, or fazendas, that focus on quantity over quality, and depend on massive mechanical harvesting operations. This has resulted in Brazil producing about 40% of the entire world’s coffee! Legender Especial goes in the opposite direction, focusing on small family-owned farms at high elevations called sitios. All lots are purchased directly from these growers, who are committed to quality, and who provide detailed information about their sitios, harvesting methods, drying techniques and other relevant information about their coffee.
Coffee from these sitios is among the most ethical, sustainable and traceable coffee you can find. In Brazil, farmers must maintain at least 30% of their land as preserved rainforest. This not only keeps the farms beautiful, but it also provides a habitat for local wildlife and shade to protect the coffee trees. Sitios have no need for chemical fertilizers. Everything they need to keep their soil healthy is right there on the farm, resulting in a coffee that is free of harmful chemicals.
Legendér pays producers fairly for their coffee with premiums added for high scoring coffee. They even will pay these premiums after the original purchase if the coffee ends up cupping better than expected. This model not only provides a more substantial income for farmers, but it also incentivizes them to continue offering great quality lots of coffee.
A few testimonials to illustrate: Mr. Scalco, owner of Sitio Colina, believes that although his total production might be smaller than some, the quality of his coffee more than makes up for it. Sebastiao Eloi Miranda lives at Sitio Gamelao with his wife Tereza. He started working in coffee as a picker for other farms, eventually purchasing his first piece of land at age 25. The Correa Family, Jose & Regina and their sons, Paulo & Joao own and operate Sitio Posses. They state, “We live a simple but very comfortable life, we have all we need thanks to coffee.”
Coffee from these sitios is among the most ethical, sustainable and traceable coffee you can find. In Brazil, farmers must maintain at least 30% of their land as preserved rainforest. This not only keeps the farms beautiful, but it also provides a habitat for local wildlife and shade to protect the coffee trees. Sitios have no need for chemical fertilizers. Everything they need to keep their soil healthy is right there on the farm, resulting in a coffee that is free of harmful chemicals.
Legendér pays producers fairly for their coffee with premiums added for high scoring coffee. They even will pay these premiums after the original purchase if the coffee ends up cupping better than expected. This model not only provides a more substantial income for farmers, but it also incentivizes them to continue offering great quality lots of coffee.
A few testimonials to illustrate: Mr. Scalco, owner of Sitio Colina, believes that although his total production might be smaller than some, the quality of his coffee more than makes up for it. Sebastiao Eloi Miranda lives at Sitio Gamelao with his wife Tereza. He started working in coffee as a picker for other farms, eventually purchasing his first piece of land at age 25. The Correa Family, Jose & Regina and their sons, Paulo & Joao own and operate Sitio Posses. They state, “We live a simple but very comfortable life, we have all we need thanks to coffee.”