Description
Recent changes in the Ethiopian export rules have opened new opportunities to develop relationships with vertically integrated suppliers. Roba and Family Coffee is one example of a newly formed export company now directly offering lots from the Gedeb district.
It is three brothers who formed Roba and Family, their mother’s coffee (Bedhatu Jibicho) has been one of our favorites every year. The brothers have expanded beyond just helping their mother export her coffee. This particular lot is sourced from about 100 neighbors who cultivate coffee on small plots and deliver their cherry to the family’s washing station. On arrival, cherries are carefully hand sorted and floated to separate out less dense beans, then depulped, fermented for 48 hours, and washed and classified again in channels. The parchment is placed on raised beds where it is hand sorted again and dried over a period of 12 to 15 days.
The parchment is also covered during the afternoons to prevent harsh drying in the intense sun. As a family owned business, emphasis on social impact in the communities where they source coffee is taking shape. The Roba family has invested in more localized cherry collection sites to reduce the transportation cost for small producers. They have also contributed to road construction projects that make travel for everyone a bit easier.
Tasting Notes: A cool traditional washed Ethiopian cup! Medium to borderline dark roast are where this coffee will shine for most, works lighter or darker for those who tend to like such things. The light roasts are pretty high acidity; lemony, floral and slightly sour with a hint of herbal, chocolate and earth. Medium roasts cleanse the cup of the earthier notes and balance out the acidity leaving a nice classic “peachy” acidity, jasmine like aromatics and smoother spicy chocolate notes. Dark roasts push the balance away from the acidity and make for a much more potent herbal spice, smoke and bakers chocolate cup.
Roasting Notes: Not a challenging coffee to roast except for the light roasts, it will roast a little two toned up until the medium roast point, if you do not get the lighter beans through first crack, the cup will be pretty underdeveloped. The lighter you roast, the more beneficial slowing down the roast will become. If shooting for a nice medium roast, wait for some of the patchiness to disappear before cooling it out.
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