This selection has a slightly more fruit forward profile than most Ethiopian coffees we work with. In the cup we find tropical fruits with floral accents throughout, and a long lemon verbena finish.
Ethiopian Landrace
Nensebo, West Arsi
1,800 - 1,975 masl
January, 2021
Harvested at peak ripeness. Hand sorted, then floated to further remove defects. Depulped. Wet fermented for 48-72 hours. Soaked in clean water for five hours. Dried on raised beds until moisture content reaches 10.5%.
The Refisa washing station receives coffee cherries from growers in the communities of Roricho, Bulga, Frefisa, and Solena. Coffees from this region are generally classified as Sidama, but in the last few years this area has been making a distinct name for itself for quality. While West Arsi may not yet be widely popularized, some of the best Ethiopian coffees we’ve tasted in the last few years have come from this region.
Ethiopia is widely acknowledged as where coffee originated, and its production continues to represent about 10% of the country’s gross domestic product. DNA testing has confirmed over 60 distinct varieties growing in Ethiopia, making it home to the most coffee biodiversity of any region in the world. Given the tradition of coffee production in Ethiopia and the political interworkings of the Ethiopian coffee trade, it is virtually impossible to get single variety coffee lots from Ethiopia. This is changing, albeit very slowly. Most Ethiopian coffees are blends of the many Ethiopian varieties, and referred to simply as 'Ethiopian Landrace'.
The cost of getting a coffee from cherry to beverage varies enormously depending on its place of origin and the location of its consumption. The inclusion of price transparency is a starting point to inform broader conversation around the true costs of production and the sustainability of specialty coffee as a whole.