Ethiopia Single Origin - Magarrisa Lot 3 - Fully Washed
Ethiopia has a special place in our hearts. It's the birthplace of coffee and home to some of the most exquisite, complex and delightful coffees it's possible to find.
For the people of Ethiopia coffee is an important and integral part of everyday life - it provides income, a reason to socialise and is a source of national pride.
We're so happy to present this coffee from the Guji region, ancestral home of the Oromo people, famed for complex, yet balanced coffees.
Variety: Heirloom
The number of coffee varieties that grow in Ethiopia has never been tallied up. There are countless varieties growing wild in the rainforests of the country and as such most are simply classified as 'heirloom'.
Origin: Guji
Guji coffees (like Yirgacheffe) were previously categorised together with coffees from Sidamo, which is actually a very wide area, encompassing much of central and southern Ethiopia. Guji coffees grown in soil rich in minerals and nutrients and are typically bursting with fruit flavours.
Who grew this coffee?
You can trace this coffee back the Egubaya Washing Station which is owned by Israel Degfa. Israel is a young entrepreneur who opened his first washing station when he was a teenager. The coffee itself is grown by a number of small farmers in the area surrounding the washing station. The bring the coffee they have harvested in tiny amounts to the washing station on a daily basis, where it is checked for quality and then graded and processed. The farmers are free to sell their harvest wherever they choose, but they choose to work with Israel as his commitment to quality means they fetch the best prices by selling to him.
Taste Profile
Take your time drinking this coffee, as it gets better and better as the minutes go by and it cools down a little. It's got a lot of sweet lemon and nectarine flavours, very fruity, but without being sour or overly acidic.
Underneath the fruitiness lies a heavenly mix of blossom fragrances - jasmine, honeysuckle and bergamot - typical of a washed Ethiopian coffee. These fragrances are blended in a black tea-like sensation.
The aftertaste is fruity as well, but less sweet and more like pomegranate.
Cupping Score - 88
Any score over 80 means that a coffee is considered 'speciality'. Over 85 and it's really something special. This coffee has been awarded a cupping score of 88 (by a Q-Grader, licensed by the Speciality Coffee Association).
Processing
This coffee is fully washed, which allows the delicate qualities of the acidity and sweetness to shine through. The coffee cherries are hand picked and then sorted to remove the underripe and overripe cherries. The skin and flesh are removed mechanically from the coffee bean and the remaining bits of pulp are removed in a 12 hour fermentation. After fermentation the beans are washed again for a further 12 hours in clean water. The washed beans are dried in the sun or shade for 11 - 20 days on raised drying beds. When they reach the desired level of dryness they are removed and stored until ready to be shipped.
Fika Pairing
The fragrant floral notes in this Ethiopian coffee are complemented with the bergamot flavours in the this Earl Grey Teacake. A recipe especially developed to match this particular coffee. Get baking and prepare to enter Fika bliss!