Although the state of Espirito Santo is one of the smallest in Brazil, it is known for its mosaic of landscapes, from rugged mountains to Atlantic coastal regions. Known for its historic robusta production, Espirito Santo is a new player in specialty coffee production. The production of Arabica used to have a bad reputation. The high humidity in the air coming from the ocean has been a real challenge to process and dry coffee properly.
A small appellation for Brazil, Espirito Santo is made up of small estates of 5 to 20 hectares located on steep mountains. Very mountainous terroir, the harvests are 100% manual with a high percentage of selective collection. Rich in native forests with a remarkable biodiversity, the region wishes to preserve the quality of its territory and its remarkable landscapes punctuated by the Atlantic coast and steep mountains.
This region has the most cloud cover, moisture and therefore rain out of any other in Brazil because of its close proximity to the coast. Coffees here have a distinctively sharper acidity and clarity to flavor. Think citrus fruit and brown sugar with light florals. This region resembles more like Colombia than the rest of Brasil !
