The Happy Place and Saigon Legend Civet

We can't stop drinking these. Big hit at the Open House today... The Happy Place Cascara/Hibiscus Blend is astounding hot plain or as a latte, 50/50 with milk. Possibly the highest anti-oxidant drink on the planet at this point, with a tangy, fruity flavor that is out of this world. Cascara Hibiscus Rooibos Blend uses only three ingredients: Coffee Cascara (dried fruit), Hibiscus flowers, and Rooibos African tea. It comes with 6 brew bags to make it easily, and a recipe for a stunningly delicious latte.

The new Saigon Legend: Civet Edition is our "Magnum Opus" for 2017. It is the culmination of our research into the best coffee blends of Golden-Bean-Award-Winning Arabicas plus 20% genuine Philippine Civet Coffee from the "pampered Pet" plantation at Julia Campbell Forest Preserve in the Philippines. It is definitely a case of Happy Mouth, with its smooth body, chocolatey tones and haunting persistence on the palate.

We created a cute Pillow Pack for small gifting or trying this extraordinary coffee. It includes a color insert with anecdotes about the coffee and its origins.
We also have a full size 8-oz bag in an attractive gloss gift box and 8 oz bags on their own. We made a small number of ground bags (we prefer the whole bean for ultimate freshness, as sometimes people will hold onto gifts for a long time waiting for that special moment to brew them... sigh). So mostly we have it in whole bean.

This is a definite Bucket List coffee.

The best gift under $20 for coffee lovers?

We have been the exclusive authorized distributor for Trung Nguyen Coffees on the web since 2005. In all that time, we have never seen a coffee that has such a universal appeal as the Legendee Gold. Every type of coffee lover, whether already a fan of Vietnamese coffees or even a Dunkin' Donuts or Peet's lover, is always impressed by a cup of Legendee. Even people who say they don't like coffee seem to be impressed.

Throughout Southeast Asia there is no more single respected brand and blend than the Legendee, served in thousands of coffee shops and sold in 17 SE Asian countries

Here in the USA the fan base grows everyday. The Legendee Gold simply has a lot to love-- created from the most select Arabica and Excelsa, and treated with the natural enzyme soak that simulates the action taking place in civet (weasel) coffee, the result is described by aficionados in many ways:

"I love to sneak a little bit from the early drip from my coffee machine into my cup for a concentrated hit of the most incredibly bitter-free and intense coffee experience" (D.M., MA)

"I have two favorite coffees, the Liberica and the Legendee. Some mornings my biggest dilemma is simply which to brew. Other mornings, my infant sun creates more fundamental dilemmas..." (D.Y., MA)

"I couldn't get the Legendee to equal the experience I have had with civet coffee until you told me about the low-temperature brewing. I put water at 185° in my Phin this morning and said 'Yes, there it is!'" (W.B., WI)

These and thousands more fans find the Legendee to be among the best, if not the best, of the coffees they have ever had. So that is why the Legendee makes such a perfect and simple gift for any coffee lover. This year we came up with a very easy way to present a gift of Legendee. We found these wonderful gold lamé bags that fit a Legendee (and many other of our coffees) perfectly. It's a simple and elegant presentation and a perfect gift under $20 for every coffee lover. Spread some Legendee Gold happiness this holiday season!

That Good Ol' Legendee

In 1996 Trung Nguyen made a serious investment in creating some coffees and coffeehouses that set new world-class standards.

One of their major projects was to hire a team of German scientists to learn why Kopi Luwak (weasel/civet/chon) coffee tastes so incredibly different and good. Trung Nguyen knew they could never service 800 coffeeshops and the mass market with Kopi Luwak, which is a painstaking and slow coffee to process. So they reasoned, why can't we duplicate what the furry little beastie is doing to the coffee beans when they are in his stomach?

The German scientists, being what they are - the world's top coffee scientists in R&D - were successful in isolating six natural enzymes that are responsible for the partial digestion of the bean cellulose structure, bringing the release of flavor elements that were previously unavailable, and also neutralizing any bitterness in the bean.

When TN first applied this process to their coffee, they chose a mix of beans that was popular in the cultivation of Kopi Luwak, a mix of Arabica, Robusta and Excelsa. This bean mix creates a bold profile underlying the smooth and bitter-free nature of the Kopi Luwak process.

However, as time went on and the world embraced more and more an all-Arabica fetish, many Kopi Luwaks were produced by feeding civets 100% Arabica. This creates a Kopi Luwak that has incredible high tones and a wonderful aroma that permeates the room upon opening. Arabica enthusiasts were pleased, but many people felt that the brewed coffee was not bold enough.

Trung Nguyen created the new Legendee Gold in ground format to approximate the taste of 100% Arabica Kopi Luwak. This was fine and wonderful, but they also stopped exporting the original, bolder formula. Since 2007 we have not been able to get the "Classic" Legendee, but recently we were able to buy it from the factory in Vietnam and have it shipped to us here.

So, Classic Legendee is back! At least, in the bean form. We celebrated by hosting our coffee social at our warehouse with Classic Legendee "on tap" and drank ourselves silly and hyper on Legendee.

We hope you share our excitement in the return of this Classic.