Our goal with this lot was to explore the possibilities of the honey process while maintaining a clean profile. We selected brighter cherries (with lower Brix) and minimized unwanted fermentation both in-cherry and during the initial drying stage. In the cup we find watermelon, peach rings, and yellow florals.
Ethiopian Landrace
Bensa, Sidama
2,300 masl
January, 2024
Hand-picked at bright red only. Floated to remove defects. De-pulped as quickly as possible. Dry-fermented for 48 hours. Soaked in clean water for four hours. Dried in a single layer in the shade for five days with mucilage intact, then sun-dried until moisture content reaches ~11%.
ABOUT HAMASHO
This washing station is run and operated by our exporting partner Daye Bensa, who are no strangers to producing exquisite coffees. We had expressed our interest in purchasing coffees from less explored regions of Ethiopia, and—after tasting some excellent offer samples from Hamasho—decided this was exactly what we were looking for. Around 1,500 farmers deliver their coffee to this washing station way up in the Bombe Mountains. Due to the extreme elevations at which these coffees are grown, the seeds are very small and dense.
ABOUT ETHIOPIAN LANDRACE
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'.
Pricing Details
Farm Gate (Local; Cherry)
72 Birr/KG
Farm Gate (USD; Cherry)
~$3.78/KG
FOB
$17.61/KG
FOT
$19.26/KG
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.