Washing Coffee in Ethiopia
Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Kochere - Grade 1
The 2013 crop from Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Kochere has arrived in the roastery on E Pike St! We are ecstatic to offer this delicately floral and black tea-like coffee in the cafes in Seattle as a French Press option, at the pour-over bar as well as Single Origin Espresso. You may remember it from our summer 2012 menu when it scored a Coffee Review score of 92. The Yirg Kochere is back by popular demand & is just as wonderful as you remember it!
Facts:
Region: Kochere District, Yirgacheffe
Varietal: Wild/Heirloom
Altitude: 5900 to 6550 ft.
Processing: Washed
Roaster’s Notes:
Considered one of the most prized coffee regions in the world, Yirgacheffe produces some of the most distinctive coffees year after year. The coffees of the region are diverse while maintaining a flavor profile that is unmistakable on the cupping table: light-bodied, floral, sweet, and citrusy. This year we again decided to purchase coffee from the Kochere District in Ethiopia, as it has consistently been one of our favorite microregions. We’re lucky to have this new crop of coffee so early in the season, thanks to our importing partner whose experience and connections in Ethiopia help ensure their coffees are among the first to ship each season.
This year’s crop from Kochere is aromatically intense with jasmine, rose, orange, and sweet marzipan. The cup starts out lively and bright. Lemon-lime citrus and subtle green apple notes create vibrant, juicy acidity. As the cup cools it mellows into sweeter fruits reminiscent of melon and hints of berry. The mouthfeel remains light, gentle, and tea-like.
Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee, and as such, the coffee trees thrive in their natural environment. Most coffee there is grown by small-hold farmers, whose ripe coffee cherries are processed and dried at a local mill or cooperative. Typically the trees are wild varieties that grow in the ecosystem they evolved in, contributing to the great cup diversity found from one microregion to another. This natural relationship between the coffee trees and their environment allows the plants to grow at extraordinary elevations, often beyond 6000ft, as with this coffee from Kochere. For these reasons Ethiopia continues to produce some of the most complex and desirable coffees on the planet.
Retail 12oz bags of the Ethiopia Yirg Kochere are available at the cafes and online for $16.50. You can also find it at the cafe pour-over bar & in the hopper as a Single Origin Espresso.
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