This awesome tasting lot is put together by METAD. A third-generation family owned business with a rich history that began after World War II when the Ethiopian Emperor awarded Muluemebet Emiru, the first African female pilot and family matriarch, with land in the Guji and Sidama zones that has become the Hambela Coffee Estate.
METAD is managed by Aman Adinew who returned to Ethiopia after many years working abroad at the executive level for multiple fortune 500 companies because he wanted to make a difference for his family and community. Through Aman’s leadership, METAD has strengthened the local community with employment opportunities including a workforce that is over seventy percent women, educational opportunities including university scholarships and sponsorship for a state-of-the-art elementary school with more than 700 students, and healthcare for employees.
METAD was also first to partner with Grounds for Health in Ethiopia to implement a successful cervical cancer screening program for women within the coffee growing communities. METAD has an expanding Out-grower program designed to provide technical assistance, share modern farming equipment, and provide certification programs for more than 5,000 local farmers who are paid premiums for their cherry and second payments after coffee is sold. Quality and certification premiums have also helped METAD build roads and community centers. METAD has the first and only private state-of-the-art SCAA certified coffee quality control lab on the African continent used to train both domestic and international coffee professionals.
Tasting Notes:
A clean, smooth and exotic cup with some awesome complexities. The aroma hits that dark fruit note on the head – smells like floral blueberries and blackberries. Its body is smooth, rich and clean. A little lower on the citric acidity makes this a nice lighter roast coffee. Sweet and fruit forward with a slight tea like spice note balanced with a chocolate undertone. The balance of this cup is fun to play with, accentuate the fruit and citric by taking it lighter or accentuate the chocolaty spice by taking it darker. The flavor has many layers of lemon-grass, berries, chocolate, and spice. A delicate cup – mostly going after those fruity floral and sweet tones.
Roasting Notes:
Light to medium roasts are where its at . If your a dark roast fan, you might be better served with a more traditional Washed Processed Ethiopian offering. This coffee will roast a little two toned as with many naturals. If shooting for the lighter roast points, play close attention to first crack and make sure the lighter beans have expanded.
