ETHIOPIA Specialty Coffee - YIRGACHEFFEE - Natural

Ethiopian coffees
Among coffee-producing countries, Ethiopia holds an almost legendary status not only because it is the "birthplace" of Arabica coffee, but also because it is simply unlike anywhere else in the coffee world. Unlike the vast majority of coffee-growing countries, the plant was not introduced as a cash crop through colonization. Instead, growing, processing and drinking coffee is part of the everyday way of life, and has been for centuries, ever since the trees were discovered growing wild in forests and eventually cultivated for domestic use and commercial sale.
From an outsider's point of view, this adds to the great complexity that makes Ethiopian coffee so difficult to fully understand - culturally, politically and economically, as well as simply culinarily. Add to that the fact that the genetic diversity of coffee here is unparalleled globally — there is 99% more genetic material in Ethiopian coffee alone than in the entire world — and the result is a coffee lover's dream: There is no coffees that are spoken of with the reverence or romance that Ethiopian coffees are.

The Profile of Ethiopian Coffees
Coffees will vary based on several factors including variety, process and micro-region. As a general rule, natural processed coffees will have much more pronounced fruit and deep chocolate tones, often with a bit of a winey character and a syrupy body. Washed coffees will be lighter and have more pronounced acidity, although individual characteristics will vary.
Here is a very basic breakdown of what we look for in coffees from some of the Yirgacheffe micro-regions in the Sidama region.
ADADO: Delicate stone fruits with citrus and floral layers that create a balanced structure.
ARICHA: Complex and almost tropical, with a juicy fruit base and a sugary, floral sweetness.
CHELE: Cooked sugar sweetness more like caramel or butterscotch, almond and a floral, citrusy tone.
KOCHERE: Fruit tea supported by citrus and stone fruit.