Ethiopia
Shiferaw Alako, lot 5 - Ethiopia
250g
*Competition Series*
QUALITY SCORE: 90.00
Cup Notes
Jasmine / Mango / Lemongrass / Lime / Earl grey tea / Peach
Suggested for espresso and filter
when we roast
We freshly roast to order all coffees on Monday, Wednesday and Friday (excluding national holidays), and ship the same day! Cut-off time is 11:59pm (UTC+1) of the day before the roast day. *We only ship whole beans*
Details
- Producer
- Shiferaw Alako
- Country
- Ethiopia
- Terroir
- Yirgacheffe
- Altitude
- 1900-2000 mt
- Process
- Classic Washed - Raised Beds
- Arabica cultivar
- Heirlooms
- Picked in
- December 2017
- Arrived in
- September 2018
- Shipped in
- Box + Vacuum pack
- Roast profile by
- Rubens Gardelli
- Roasted on
- Customised solid-drum roaster
THE STORY BEHIND
We are honoured to feature this unique washed coffee from Yirgacheffe terroir.
We selected this lot during the last Operation Cherry Red Auction that took place for the very first time in June 2018!
This lot is produced by a single farmer named Shiferaw Alako who brought the coffee cherries to the nearest Ato. Mijane washing station.
The Ato. Mijane washing station was established in 2012 by Ato Mijane – Ato stands for mister. It is located around Sakaro, a village in the Gedeb district, near Worka. Gedeb is most-definitely one of our's favourite districts that produce Yirgacheffe coffee – because it is known for its purple-fruit and intense floral notes. A notable difference in the Gedeb region, compared to other Yirgacheffe districts, is the state of plantations. The soil seems more nutritious and trees look more vital than they do in the northern part of Yirgacheffe.
THE VARIETY
Ethiopian Heirloom, why the generic name? It's estimated that there are somewhere in-between six and ten thousand coffee varietals in Ethiopia. And due to this colossal figure, there hasn’t been the genetic testing to allow buyers to distinguish the varietal. With the cross pollination that naturally happens in the wild, the name ‘Ethiopian Heirloom’ exists as a catch all phrase to describe this happenstance. However, that really makes Ethiopian quite a mystery – and an interesting mystery with that as each village or town could potentially have a different varietal which could carry very unique properties.
Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee, meaning it was only naturally found here!
THE FERMENTATION PROCESS
Washed coffees focus solely on the bean. They let you taste you what’s on the inside, not the outside. Washed coffees depend almost 100% on the bean having absorbed enough natural sugars and nutrients during its growing cycle. This means the varietal, soil, weather, ripeness, fermentation, washing, and drying are absolutely key.
Washed coffees reflect both the science of growing the perfect coffee bean and the fact that farmers are an integral part of crafting the taste of a coffee bean. When looking at washed coffees, it becomes apparent that the country of origin and environmental conditions play a vital role in adding to the flavour.
During wet processing, the pulp (i.e.the exocarp and a part of the mesocarp) is removed mechanically. The remaining mesocarp, called mucilage, sticks to the parchment and is also removed before drying. During this process, the sugars present in the mucilage are removed through natural fermentation or mechanical scrubbing. Mucilage is insoluble in water and clings to parchment too strongly to be removed by simple washing. Mucilage can be removed by fermentation followed by washing or by strong friction in machines called mucilage removers. Fermentation can be done by stacking the coffee outside or placing them under water and allowing nature to take its course. After the sugars are removed, the beans then can be taken through a secondary washing to remove any additional debris, or taken immediately to the beds for drying.
