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The Coffee Origin Story

Empire is a mix of our organic, fair trade Peruvian single origin—a full-bodied medium roast—and our Yirgacheffe Ethiopia single origin heirloom cultivar roast. By combining the delicate fruity and floral notes of both beans, it has a creamy smoothness, an intoxicating jasmine aroma, and notes of maple syrup, cocoa, and strawberry, with a satisfying caramel finish.”

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Ethiopia is believed to be the cradle of mankind and the birthplace of coffee, so they have had over a millennium to build a coffee empire. Yirgacheffe Ethiopian beans are borne of the mineral rich clay of the Adema community in the Gedeo Zone, where over 800 producers organize around the Idido washing station. Raised in Southern Ethiopia’s perfect coffee growing environment, Yirgacheffe’s small, jade bean is harvested cleanly without any agronomic chemicals. The plants thrive naturally in warm, higher elevations abundant in fertile soil blanketed with jasmine, poinsettia, and a variety of trees. This helps to produce deliciously opulent, complex flavor notes.

One of the first countries in the Americas to receive coffee plants, Peru, began growing coffee in the mid-1700’s. Through most of its history its beans were consumed locally, but in the first decade of the 1900’s Peru began exporting beans on a large scale. Coffee quickly made up 60% of Peru’s exports. Cusco is one of the oldest and largest coffee producing areas of Peru. Home of the ancient Incan Empire, the area has been farmed by generations of growers. Cusco coffee is among the most consistently balanced Peruvian brews—and the most award-winning.

At first, it seemed impossible to improve on either of these exquisite single origin coffees. Then we married them, and magic happened.

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