Mexico Xico

Xico (Nahuatl for "where there are honeycombs of yellow wax”) is located in the mountainous area of ​​the state of Veracruz. It’s surrounded by highly varied topography full of trails, hills, plateaus, and waterfalls. The capital of Xico is located an hour and a half from Veracruz’s airport, after which reaching the farms can take between 15 minutes and 1 hour on dirt roads.

Xico’s close proximity to the powerhouse production area of Coatepec motivates Xico producers to put more effort into planting and harvesting and thus be able to compete in the local market. This has caused producers in the Xico to improve their quality and precision at an accelerated pace.

Producers closer to the city have a variety of employment options outside of the coffee harvest if they need them, but producers further away depend entirely on agriculture, making them more vulnerable to sudden changes like inflation and coffee price fluctuations.

In addition to coffee, producers in Xico grow corn, lemon, avocado, and vegetables for their own consumption and sale. The farms in this area are usually small, between 2 and 3 hectares. During the harvest season they use family labor for all the work. Typical shade trees used by Xico producers include native trees such as banana, ice cream bean tree, and oak. Farmers have a deep-rooted organic culture, so they typically only use chicken manure and other organic products to fertilize the farm.

Xico's harvest, like the rest of Veracruz, is harvested in cherry. Producers use mules, trucks, or ATVs to transport the coffee. Transit time between farms and the central collection center in Xico varies between 15 minutes and 1 hour.

In the cup, the coffee is incredibly balanced and easy drinking. We're tasting notes of sugar cookie, apricot, and brown sugar.