THE FARM: The Brazilian state of Espírito Santo might be one of the smallest states in the country, but it packs an incredible heft of natural riches like iron, coffee, and fruit – and interestingly – a population made up of mostly people with Italian ancestry. Our Espirito Santo Immigrantes coffee comes from small farms owned by the descendants of Italian immigrants who settled in the region in the late 1800s, when abandoned sugarcane plantations were divided and sold into farm plots with an average size of seven hectares. As a result, coffee production overtook sugarcane production in the 19th century.

Good things take time, and producers in Espírito Santo do precisely that when it comes to harvesting their coffee. The cherries mature slowly, each in their own time, and handpicking allows farmers to collect only the ripest fruit. The mountainous terrain is steep and uneven, so farming heavily depends on manual labor that’s highly selective when picking and sorting coffee. Every family member on the farm plays a role in bringing coffee to market.

Unlike in the rest of Brazil, the coffee here is processed with the washed or semi-washed method because the climate and high altitude make Espirito Santo’s environment mistier and more humid. Farmers adopted new drying systems like greenhouses for better control and higher quality to overcome these challenges. The unusual climate also contributes to the coffee’s unique cup profile. Espírito Santo coffees offer lush sweetness and an aroma that make it distinctive from specialty coffee grown elsewhere in Brazil.

OUR ROAST: Semi-washing coffee involves fewer steps than the washed “wet” process. In the semi-washed method, the outer skin of the coffee cherries are removed mechanically removed. The coffee beans –with their mucilage attached – are stored. Following, the mucilage is washed off with water before the beans dried. Semi-washing coffee tends to reduce the acidity of the final coffee. Our roast has a sweet dry fragrance with hints of apple and brown spice. Our deep roast, brewed well, yields a wonderfully balanced cup of milk chocolate and roasted almond.

*** All prices are per pound ***