Ethiopia, Yirgacheffe Koke, Natural

We finally have another Yirgacheffe whole bean coffee in stock! We really missed having it in our line-up and we are very happy with how this one is cupping out.

We roasted it nice and light to get all the delicate nuances to come alive. There are some berry notes, but the first sip is dominated by big, sweet Meyer lemon notes. There's some stonefruit (think peaches, apricots) and it's rounded out with a floral tea-like aroma of honeysuckle. It's a beautiful cup of coffee that comes out great on pour over and doesn't need any milk or sugar.

Situated close to Mele Village in the Yirgacheffe region of Ethiopia, you'll discover the Koke 'Abraham' Washing Station, named after its manager, Abraham Mengistie. Over the years, this area has gained a distinguished reputation for producing exceptional coffees, yielding some of the world's most sought-after microlots. Yirgacheffe coffees owe their esteemed status to a combination of factors like high altitudes (reaching up to 2,200 meters in some spots), fertile soil, consistent and ample rainfall, and a wealth of local expertise.

The Gedeo Zone, where this coffee originates, is named after the Gedeo people whose homelands lie in this zone. Gedeo is an exclave of the Southern Ethiopia Regional State consisting of a narrow strip of land along the eastern escarpment of the Ethiopian Highlands. It is surrounded by the Oromia Region, which borders the Zone on the east, south and west; Gedeo shares its northern boundary with the Sidama Region. The beans can be traced to the Koke Washing Station.

This is a natural process coffee meaning the coffee cherry has been left on the bean to ferment and then sun dry on raised beds. The cherries are hand-sorted to remove any over or underripe fruit before the drying process begins. The fermentation stage lasts around 72 hours, allowing the outer fruit layer to gently break down. Subsequently, the cherries are evenly spread out on raised beds to sun-dry until they reach the optimal moisture level. This drying process can take up to 25 days.

This results in a sweeter tasting coffee with more fruit-forward notes without the addition of any adulterants or flavours. It's all about the process!

If you like light, fruity coffees with pleasing acidity, give this one a shot and let us know what you think!

ORIGIN: Mele Village, Gedeo Zone, South Ethiopia Regional State

PROFILE: Light

NOTES: Meyer Lemon, Apricot, Honeysuckle

VARIETALS: Heirloom Yirgacheffe Type

PROCESS: Natural

ELEVATION: 1900-2100 MASL

Available in 340g, 850g or 2.2kg bags of whole bean coffee.

We recommend this light roast on pourover or drip coffee brewers.