African

Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Gedeb Natural

Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Gedeb Natural

This is a NATURAL (Dry processed) Yirgacheffe coffee from the subregion of Gedeb and the Wuri mill. This area is also known as the Gedeo Zone and produces several lots of coffee each year, of varying quality. The very best grade for an Ethiopia is Grade 1, but the mill decided to produce a special microlot better than Grade 1, so they are calling this Grade 0, and claiming zero defects. In fairness, I can't find any defects, so I think they achieved their goal. They also vacuum packed the coffee on site to keep it incredibly fresh.It comes to us in 33 pound bags and you hear the air whooshing in as soon as you slice into the bag.

We really like this one. It has a creamy vanilla undertone with mango, stonefruit, tropical fruit overtones. No fermented or earthy notes, and it's pretty easy to roast. You don't want to roast it too far out of the first cracks. This is where you find the flavors of fruit and candy sweeteness.  Drink it slowly and methodically and enjoy the flashes of different fruity flavors in each sip.

We have found the best results when we speed up the middle part of the roast and get to first cracks 90 seconds sooner than normal. This gives it more acidic zip and helps it come alive. It is then important to slow it down at the first cracks to allow all the different flavors to develop. Being a natural processed coffee, you shouldn't take this coffee into the 2nd cracks -- we don't get it anywhere close to that level -- it's a light roast coffee.

If you allow this coffee to "rest" after roasting, you're missing out. When it's hot off the roaster, the tangy fruity flavors seem to be the most apparent. Two days later, however, more sweetness and thicker mouthfeel open up an equally satisfying mug of coffee. But it is fun drinking this every morning and each day it has changed a little bit.

USA Arrival: January 2022

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