Brazil produces and exports more coffee than any other country in the world. While the majority of this is commodity-grade coffee used in many generic espresso blends, in recent years we’ve begun to see the South American producer put out more and more fantastic specialty lots. This is one such lot, grown on a third-generation family-owned farm and roasted by our friends at Cedar. 

Owned by Carmen Lucia and her family, Fazenda Caxambu is a 211 hectare farm located in the mountainous region near Três Pontas City, South of Minas Gerais. Thanks to its geography and climate, this region offers ideal growing conditions for coffee plantations, and, through a constant cycle of renovation and innovative agricultural practices, Lucia and her team strive to preserve the local environment. For example, Caxambu includes an experimental farm that contains 93 different coffee varieties. Studying the productivity, quality and development potential of these varieties informs Caxambu’s planting patterns and crop cycles to optimise environmental renewal. 

Caxambu means “music box” in a mix of Afro-Indian languages, and refers to a kind of traditional drum. The farm pays homage to its African heritage by employing a pulped natural processing technique it calls “Afro Honey” processing. Much like a standard pulped natural, this entails removing the skin of the coffee cherry prior to drying, but leaving the fruit flesh on the bean, which can result in greater sweetness. In an Afro Honey process, this first step is accomplished by stamping on the coffee cherry in a barrel, much like traditional grape-treading in the wine industry. 

Phaedon's tasting notes

My first contact with this coffee was not with the arrival of my sample bag from my friends at Cedar. Instead, we had a chance meeting a couple of weeks before, at a Brazilian-focused cupping hosted by our friends at Quaffee. With my son in tow, and the wind pumping, I eagerly tasted a selection of specialty releases imported by Marunic. They were all quite lovely (and comprised the recent limited release bundle we offered in early July) but one coffee stood out for me very clearly. I struggled to pronounce its name, but my favourite on the table was unquestionably Fazenda Caxambu. You can imagine the smile on my face when I saw that Leigh & Winston had selected the very same lot for their offering.

The qualities I enjoyed when cupping this coffee are definitely present in Cedar's roast of this delightful Brazilian. It offers an elegant mix of flavour notes: a combination of nuttiness and fruity sweetness. I also found a hint of warm spice on my siphon brew, perhaps a touch of cinnamon.

The acidity in this coffee is fairly understated; the fruit flavours are more of the dark or even dried stone fruit variety. I found the best flavour balance came out in my immersion brews, most notably my Bodum French Press and my Hario siphon. If you enjoy an immersion brew, I'm pretty sure you will enjoy this coffee.

Cedar’s notes

“On the cupping table we picked up a unique floral note on the nose which stood out compared to your traditional Brazils. This coffee isn't necessary trying to be something that it's not, it still has quite a full body and smooth mouthfeel. 

“On filter we picked up notes of prune and almond flakes which became more prevalent on espresso-based drinks. We picked up marzipan and caramel on the milk. The go to drink for this coffee would be espresso-based. If you prefer something bolder in the morning this is a standout offer.”

• Cup profile: Prune, almond flakes, marzipan, caramel

Coffee details from Cedar

“It's been forever since our last release of a single origin from Brazil, although we do tend to use quite a lot of Brazil in our famous blends. As always, we look to serve a range of different profiles with interesting stories, and this lot right here is a first for us. 

“We present to you Fazenda Caxambu headed by Carmen Lucia and her family of 3rd generation farmers. This was a farm their great-grandparents inherited initially with the hopes of diving into coffee farming for the first time. Carmen moved out to further her academic career but made the decision to one day come back and carry on the family legacy. 

“Her aim isn't to just keep things ticking along but to cultivate specialty coffee and elevate consumers' experience throughout the chain. She has even set up a coffee shop on the farm for people to experience the coffee firsthand. Sustainability is a big focus for her team and they are constantly on the lookout for eco-friendly farming methods to implement, having recently installed solar panels to produce power.”

• Producer: Carmen Lucia Chaves de Brito
• Country: Brazil
• Region: Tres Pontas - South of Minas
• Process: Pulped natural
• Altitude: 970 - 1200masl
• Variety: Bourbon, Catuai and others