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. 

Cedar’s notes

“On filter, we picked up notes of Dried fruit think of prunes and apricots with a light Brazil nut undertone. However, this coffee truly shines on espresso, where we detected amplified notes of dried fruit and nuts that produce a well-balanced espresso. When paired with milk, this transforms into an English toffee and condensed milk flavor profile. A smooth and velvety mouthfeel that's perfectly suited for espresso-based drinks.”

• Cup profile: Brazil nuts, dried fruit, English toffee

Coffee details from Cedar

“We're excited to re-introduce Fazenda Caxambu, a Brazilian single-origin coffee that we've had the pleasure of working with before. This farm is headed by Carmen Lucia and her family, who are third-generation farmers. Carmen returned to the farm to carry on her family's legacy, with a focus on cultivating specialty coffee and enhancing the consumer experience. Fazenda Caxambu is committed to sustainability, using eco-friendly farming methods and recently installing 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