XO Coffee UK

On the spectrum

£9

Shipping days Wednesdays and Fridays

Blend of Fazenda Cetec & Ethiopia Awash River

Process: Pulped natural

Flavour notes: Cocoa, hazelnuts, dried fruits

Recommended brew style: Espresso

Roast level: Medium-Dark



Fazenda Cetec
Márcio Custódio & Heitor Botelho

Fazenda Cetec started as a childhood dream. The brothers Márcio Custódio and Izonel Junior, were born in a humble family. In their youth, they worked for the coffee farms of the region as coffee pickers. Knowing the importance of education, the young laborers left the work in the farms and began to dedicate themselves to their studies. After graduating, the brothers became university professors and after a few years as teachers, decided to create their own Technical School called CETEC – Center of Technology of the city of Lavras, in the south of Minas Gerais. This school’s objective was to provide education for young people from unwealthy households. They wanted to offer the possibility of education and a better life for these students and their families.

After more than 10 years of school existence, having trained more than 5 thousand young people, the brothers decided to make their childhood dreams come true. They bought a small farm that at the time was raising Nelore cattle, in the small city of Itumirim, indigenous name for "small waterfall", in reference to the many beautiful waterfalls in its surroundings. Woefully, one day after purchasing the farm, the elder Brother, Izonel Junior, passes away. This occurrence forced Márcio, shaken by the death of his dear brother, to think of selling the newly bought farm. However, he thought that he had to honor their dream and the memories of their childhood together, and decided to continue to pursue the goal of having a beautiful coffee farm. From then on, the cattle gave way to the coffee grounds, and the dedication to the farm was from the entire family. At this time, the nephew Heitor Botelho, started working on the farm with his uncle Márcio and they both named the farm Fazenda CETEC, as a way of honoring Izonel and the Technical School that through many years helped them achieve their dream.

The search for knowledge to produce excellent coffees went beyond the farm’s gates, with several courses and trips seeking the understatement of the most appropriate cultural means to produce specialty coffees. In addition to the attention to the crops and plants, their social and environmental responsibilities are well defined in the farm’s core values. Fazenda CETEC is always concerned with the safety and well-being of its employees. It invests and dedicates itself to the preservation of the environment, such as the recovery and preservation of its springs and forests, as well as the rational use of water in all their processes. Fazenda CETEC uses an ecologically correct cultural treatment where the coffee is cultivated in a consortium of grass, which prevents soil erosion and consequently the silting of the rivers, and hinders the invasion of weeds, drastically reducing the use of herbicide for the control of pests. Once grown, the producers scrub the grass and throw it under the coffee plants creating a natural organic matter and consequently reducing the application of chemical fertilizers.

This combination of productivity, quality and respect for the environment, makes Fazenda CETEC a reference in the production of specialty coffees, so appreciated all over the world.

Altitude: 1100 MASL

Variety: Catucai

Processing: Natural

Ethiopia Natural Awash River

Awash River is a curated coffee sourced from smallholder farmers serviced by the river Awash in the Sidamo region of southern Ethiopia. These farmers rely on the great river and its many tributaries to cultivate coffee and sustain their communities.

The Awash carves through almost 750 miles of Ethiopia’s great rift valley, providing a vital water source for millions. Archaeologists believe humans have lived along the river since the dawn of man. Known as “the cradle of humankind”, the middle Awash is home to some of the most important archaeological discoveries in history, including perhaps the most famous hominid fossil ever found: “Lucy”.

In a poetic twist, Ethiopia is also the birthplace of the arabica coffee tree. As farmers started to harvest the wild forest coffee of Southern Ethiopia they in turn began to cultivate them on their own land. Nevertheless, wild coffee can still be found throughout Ethiopia and is represented by thousands of distinct varieties, many of which are still cultivated by farmers in Sidamo to this day.

Origin: Ethiopia
Subregion: Sidamo
Producer Type: Small Holder Farmers Processing: Natural/Dry Processed Growing Altitude: 1800-2200m

Plant Species: Arabica
Variety: Ethiopia Heirloom Varieties

The Region
The Sidamo and Yirgacheffe regions have developed a reputation for some of the most sought-after coffees in the world. With the river as a rich source of clean water; the combination of high altitude, fertile soils and abundant sunshine provides ideal conditions for arabica coffee cultivation. Heirloom arabica varietals, which still grow wild in Ethiopia, contribute to a beautifully unique cup profile typified by notes of tropical and stone fruit and light florals.

The Process
This coffee is naturally processed, whereby ripe coffee cherries are dried in the sun on patios and raised African beds for around 12-15 days, according to the ambient conditions. This sun-drying process allows for many of the sugars in the cherry pulp to transfer into the bean, presenting in the cup as complex tropical fruit flavours. The raised beds provide airflow to facilitate a consistent drying process, though the cherries are also turned periodically to prevent mould and covered at night to protect from rain and moisture. Once the ideal moisture content is reached the dried cherries are rested in a cool environment before being hulled, graded and handpicked prior to export.

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Nicholas Rueth
This is the best coffee I’ve ever bought

On the spectrum is honestly the tastiest coffee ever! The smell is incredible and it’s so smooth.