Brazil Sítio Forno Grande

We met José Schiavo on our first trip to Espírito Santo, Brazil in the fall of 2023. A fourth generation coffee farmer, José and his family run an impeccably tidy operation at Sítio Forno Grande—well maintained rows of coffee trees roll into the forest land reserved on their property. Considered a “micro” farm by Brazilian standards, about sixty percent of the Schiavo’s twenty hectare plot is dedicated to growing specialty coffee.

Bordering the Atlantic Ocean, Espírito Santo was once thought to be incapable of producing quality coffees: the humidity was too high, the temperatures too cool, and natural-processing methods that are common in Brazil produced unpleasant flavors. Producers like the Schiavos saw the benefit of switching to washed-processing—their attentiveness, combined with the unique climate, yields incredibly clean and sweet coffees with higher levels of acidity than any others we’ve tasted from Brazil.

We’re deeply optimistic about the future of coffee in this region. Having sourced from Espírito Santo for the past several years for our Wallabout blend, we are excited to showcase the potential of this region with this single origin release, and to continue developing relationships with the Schiavos and other small farmers in the area.