Ethiopia
Wubanchi Aricha
Terroir Best Lot
QUALITY SCORE: 89.25
Cup Notes
Jasmine / Earl Grey tea / Lemon / Peach
We are delighted to announce the arrival of the finest Ethiopian washed coffee from the 2023 harvest: a meticulously selected offering that embodies elegance and delicacy. This coffee reveals a perfect balance, with notes of jasmine, Earl Grey tea, lemon, and peach, crafting an extraordinary sensory experience.
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
- Quality Score
- 89.25
- Series
- Terroir Best Lot
- Producer
- Several small farmers
- Country
- Ethiopia
- Terroir
- Yirgacheffe
- Altitude
- 2000-2200 masl
- Process
- Classic Washed - Raised Beds
- Arabica cultivar
- Ethiopian Heirloom
- Picked in
- Dec. 2022 - Jan. 2023
- Arrived in
- September 2023
- Shipped in
- Jute + GrainPro
- Roast profile by
- Rubens Gardelli
- Roasted on
- Customised solid-drum roaster
Suggested brewing recipe
There are two recipes: one for conical brewer (think V60) and one for flat-bottom brewer (think Kalita), however you can surely brew our coffees with any other brewing device, such as immersion brewers.
Please remember that these recipes are intended as starting points and may require further adjustments if the equipment you use is not identical to the one in the recipe; the characteristics of water used can also make a big difference in brewing.
Finally, the recipes suited specifically to Rubens’ roasting style, hence we do not guarantee that they will work as a universal reference.
Have fun brewing!
- Coffee:
- 17g
- Grind:
- Comandante 27 clicks (medium)
- Water:
- 250g (40tds) at 94 Celsius
- Time:
- 2:50
- Brew strenght:
- 1,44 tds
- Coffee:
- 17g
- Grind:
- Comandante 24 clicks (medium)
- Water:
- 250g (40tds) at 94 Celsius
- Time:
- 2:45
- Brew strenght:
- 1,46 tds
THE STORY BEHIND
This is a grade 1 fully washed microlot from Aricha Wubanchi washing station in Yirgacheffe. Aricha Wubanchi station sits at 2,213masl and is serviced by the Resitay river, processing cherries from 1,700 local smallholder farmers. Farmers in this region typically cultivate Jarc (an Ethiopian heirloom sub-variety) on small plots of land around their house. Hence, these plots are colloquially known as 'garden coffee'.Aricha is located in Yirgacheffe district, Gedeo zone in the ‘Southern Nations, Nationalities & Peoples’ (SNNP) region of Ethiopia. Over a number of years the region has developed a distinguished reputation for fine coffees, producing some of the most sought-after microlots in world. The combination of high altitude (up to 2,200m in some areas), fertile soil, consistent and plentiful rains, and an abundance of local knowledge are all contributing factors to the high status of Yirgacheffe coffees.
The local indigenous ‘heirloom’ varietals - which grow wild in Ethiopia - are responsible for the unique flavour notes which make for an unusual but refined cup. When processed naturally through sun drying these present with juicy and jammy stone-fruit flavours, floral and chocolate notes with a creamy body.
THE VARIETY
Ethiopian heirlooms, 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 as each village or town could potentially have a different varietal which could carry very unique properties.
THE FERMENTATION PROCESS
Ripe cherries are delivered to the wet mill for careful sorting and pulping, followed by fermentation for 36-48 hours, depending on the climatic conditions. After this stage, the parchment coffee is meticulously washed and graded based on bean density before being sun-dried on elevated African beds for 10-12 days, until the ideal moisture level is achieved. During the day, the parchment must be raked and turned periodically to ensure a consistent drying process. The coffee is also covered from 12 pm to 3 pm to shield it from the intense sun and at night to protect it from rain and moisture.
Once the coffee reaches the appropriate level of dryness, it is transported to Addis Ababa for dry milling, grading, rigorous sorting, and handpicking before being packaged in GrainPro bags for export.