De Mello Palheta Dancing Goats Coffee Bag - 227g

Region: Machado, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Farm: Sitio Alto Da Serra
Producer: Samuel Goncalves
Varietal: Yellow Catuai
Altitude: 1200 masl
Process: Natural
Tasting Notes:  Milk Chocolate | Vanilla | Dark Cherry

According to legend, coffee was first discovered by an Ethiopian farmer named Kaldi who observed his goats begin to jump and dance after eating the red berries of the plant. Dancing Goats is a De Mello mainstay, a blend that pays homage to the fascinating history of the little beans we all love so much. Rich caramel notes blend with a smooth pecan and dark cherry finish to create a cup that’s familiar but forward.

A Tribute to the History of Coffee

According to legend, coffee was first discovered by an Ethiopian farmer named Kaldi who observed his goats begin to jump and dance after eating the red berries of the plant. Dancing Goats is a De Mello mainstay, a blend that pays homage to the fascinating history of the little beans we all love so much. Rich caramel notes blend with a smooth pecan and dark cherry finish to create a cup that’s familiar but forward.

A Different Way Forward

Despite Brazil’s major status in the history and presence of coffee, it’s oft-maligned as an origin for producing low-quality coffees in massive volumes. However, this is slowly changing and we are proud to be allied with a group of quality-focused small producers that are showing the true potential this country has as a top-tier coffee country.

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All of these producers are based in the Serras de Minas micro-region of Minas Gerais, and due to the volume capacities of this region, we’re able to receive coffees on an ongoing basis year-round. Each new shipment is made up of coffee produced by a specific community — the current installment features a group of nine producers situated around the town of Posses — and is constructed to match our desired profile, one that is rich in caramel, nut, and dark red fruit flavors.

Quality Making a Difference

Brazil is an incredibly unique coffee producing country. Through a combination of protectionist measures such as guaranteed floor pricing and also the luxury of incredible volume outputs, Brazilian coffee producers are typically able to pick and choose when they wish to sell their coffee and to whom in order to get the best for themselves.

However, the current system has incentivized a volume over quality mindset which has left producers putting very little effort into improving quality. For many farmers producing 2000 plus bags a year, the notion of gaining extra by putting more work in seems pointless as they’re able to reap such a reward already with little effort at all.

In the Serras de Minas micro-region, it becomes a little trickier. Producers are growing between 400-1000 bags, a monumental amount for many coffee producers, but such a small amount that they are often overlooked by major brokers who would buy their coffee. Add to this the fact that this region is very hilly and features some of Brazil’s highest altitudes, it renders mechanical picking impossible, thereby slowing down production and volume even more so.

As such, this region represents a great opportunity for quality incentives. If these producers can receive more for higher quality, they see the benefit as they can maximize their returns and make the farming more profitable despite its relatively small size.

We hope you’ll enjoy this true taste of Brazil, produced by a dedicated group of coffee farmers who are focused on showing all their country and their specific terroir can show!