We are releasing a wonderful Ethiopian Natural, a single farmer lot produced by Kefalech Tariku, a woman producer from Chelchelie, Gedeb district (Gedeo zone). Kefalech cultivates indigenous heirloom sub-varietals, namely Kumie, Diga and Wilsho. ‘Heirloom’ is the traditional term for any of the 150 Arabica varietals grown locally in Ethiopia. Continued research by the Jimma Agricultural Research Center has provided clarity and identification on the sub-varietals classed as heirloom. In total, 95% of Ethiopian coffee is grown by small-holders across a variety of environments, including “coffee forests” – areas of wild coffee plants that are harvested by locals.
This microlot is naturally processed, with 17 days of drying time on raised beds, prior to washing and bagging. This time allows the cherries to gently ferment on the seeds, imparting the more fruity notes expected with a natural. A mother of five, Kefalech farms 1.4ha of land at an altitude of 2,080masl, producing 3000kg of coffee annually.
Her farm benefits from fertile red-brown soil, which is acidic and iron rich, a temperature range of 23.6ºC – 10.1ºC, and a mean annual rainfall of over 1400mm. The result of these factors, and Kefalech’s expertise, is a truly wonderful coffee with distinctive flavours that will keep you coming back for more.
We found this coffee to have an aroma of blueberry and summer blossom – somewhere between a good blueberry muffin and a walk in an English garden! On the palate, this coffee is defined by a melon sweetness and a distinctive vanilla finish which lingers long after the sip. Although this vanilla note is reminiscent of a more bodied coffee, we found this to be very tea-like, with a calming acidity akin to what a chamomile tea would offer. Overall, we really found this to be a complex coffee to describe, so hopefully we have done it justice! Let us know what you think!