DECAF LEGENDER ESPECIAL

ORIGIN : Minas Gerais, Brazil FARMER : Legendér Specialty Coffees ALTITUDE : 1100-1250 m VARIETAL : Arara, Catuai, Mundo Novo PROCESSING : Natural, Mountain Water Process ROAST : Medium TASTING NOTES : Chocolate, Orange, Roasted Nut, Smooth

In the mountains of Sul de Minas, there are hundreds of small, family-owned and operated farms called Sitios. Compared to Fazendas, Sitios have a much smaller footprint. These small coffee farms are typically at high altitudes, allowing the farmers the unique opportunity to produce quality specialty coffee. 

Ten years ago, Demilson Batista saw the opportunity to export quality specialty coffee from these sitios. In 2012, he established his exporting company, Legendér Specialty Coffees, in Machado, a small town in Sul de Minas. Machado and the neighboring towns of Poco Fundo and Campestre were full of untapped potential from these Sitios. Demilson made it his goal to work with these producers. He encourages them to sell during peak freshness so that they get paid out above the market rate.

We have all witnessed this evolution in other coffee-producing origins, but this practice seems relatively new in a country that is synonymous with coffee, though not necessarily specialty coffee. Previously, many of these small farms, or sitios, delivered their harvest to collectors, unaware of their coffee’s potential. Demilson, alongside his wife Luciana, set out to change that dynamic. He wanted quality coffee from individual farms to be recognized and introduced to the specialty market. The shift wasn’t easy—producers were skeptical at first. However, as they saw the higher premiums and recognition they could achieve with their own coffee, momentum started to build. 

Brazilian coffee from specialty sitios are some of the most ethical, sustainable and traceable coffee you can find. In Brazil, it is required that farmers 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. On the environmental front, sitios don’t have a 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 any harmful chemicals from fertilizers.

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.

Today, through their partnership with Coopama, Legender continues to revolutionize Machado’s specialty coffee scene. Demilson has the ability to assess true “Legender quality,” meaning that a coffee has a distinctly sweet cherry, cocoa, and creamy flavor that clearly illustrates the natural process. This quality standard, along with Coopama’s production capacity, agronomic expertise, and membership reach in Machado makes for a strong collaboration that is appreciated by coffee producers and roasters alike.

Mountain Water Process is a method of indirect decaffeination. All our MWP decafs come from Descemax, which uses pure water from Pico de Orizaba—the highest mountain in Mexico. The process begins with a chemical analysis to determine optimal conditions. Next, the beans are steamed and prepared for extraction. Finally, they undergo an extraction process which uses a water-based saturated solution. This solution removes the caffeine while keeping the coffee’s flavor compounds in place.

We roast on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and to ensure the best tasting coffees, orders received after Monday may not be processed or shipped until the following week.

Sourced from the Minas Gerais region of Brazil, the DECAF LEGENDER ESPECIAL is a standout offering from Bard Coffee. This lot features the Arara varietal, cultivated by Legendér Specialty Coffees at elevations between 1100 and 1250 masl. To maintain the integrity of the bean while removing caffeine, the coffee undergoes the Mountain Water Process, a method often favored for its ability to preserve the inherent characteristics of the origin.

Natural-processed coffees, as detailed in our processing methods explainer, frequently exhibit a heavier body and pronounced sweetness compared to washed counterparts. When combined with the Mountain Water Process, this approach aims to balance the inherent profile of the Arara bean with a clean, approachable cup. For those exploring the nuances of this specific roast, referencing the flavor wheel can help identify the interplay between its chocolate, orange, and roasted nut notes, resulting in a characteristically smooth finish.