Description
The first awesome Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Natural of the season! A bit on the exotic side but if you love traditional Ethiopian Naturals, don’t shy away from this one. Many times “Anerobic” processing gives the coffee a pretty intense sour/grape/winey tone, but in this case, it is a very mild processing. Not overly fermented, boozy, or sour. A lovely and very clean more fruit forward cup. The cup profiles here remind me of a very nice Yemen coffee, gets a bit of that “banana” fruity tone not often seen. Do not worry, its not like candied Banana, but between the more creamy cup character and a bit of tropical and traditional fruit notes, a couple folks pointed it out.
During the harvest season in Ethiopia’s famed Yirgacheffe (Gedeo Zone), thousands of smallholder farmers hand‑pick ripe heirloom cherries from shaded garden plots intercropped with food crops—traditional low‑input agroforestry that preserves biodiversity and soil health. This Grade 1 “Supernatural” showcases the classic high‑elevation Yirgacheffe clarity plus intensified fruit sweetness—reflected in the official flavor callouts of strawberry jam, apricot, hibiscus, baking spice, and heavy cream.
Environmental stewardship here is rooted in the farmers’ shade‑grown, organic‑style methods: diverse canopy cover, minimal synthetic inputs, intercropping, and raised‑bed sun drying—all practices that support pollinators, natural pest balance, and gradual, even drying that protects cup quality.
A short regional history: Yirgacheffe’s smallholder cooperative and union structure helped formalize quality separation and direct export pathways—cooperative models across southern Ethiopia funnel premiums back into community infrastructure (schools, clinics, water, roads) and reinforce sustainable practices (shade retention, organic methods) to adapt to climate variability.
Tasting Notes: These beans shine at the lighter roast points, a very sweet and delicate cup on the fruitier side. Banana and melon lead the tastes and fruits like strawberry and orange also stand out, although they are a bit more subtle. Hints of a clean lemony citric acidity showcase the cleanliness of the cup. The prolonged natural‑process fermentation enhances the fruit without making it too strong, winey or grape like. The sweet and fruity tones are balanced with a fuller bodied milky mouthfeel, leaning on the chocolate like side, just a pinch of spice. The result is a wonderfully balanced and slightly exotic Ethiopian natural. A juicy profile that is uncommon for this type of process: the tropical fruit remains clear, the cocoa provides structure, and the finish is clean, without overly fermented notes.
Roasting Notes: This coffee is very versatile at all roast levels, though it shines most with a balance between medium and light, achieving harmony between tropical and chocolatey aspects. At a Light roast, you’ll find notes of melon and banana; at a Medium roast, the body grows and creamy cocoa emerges to balance the fruity sweetness. At a Dark roast, the chocolate becomes more intense and herbal, yet it still preserves a hint of that tropical flavor. Recommendation: stop the roast at medium‑light (just before second crack begins) to preserve the fresh acidity and balanced chocolate note.
The Processing:
The supernatural processed coffees at the Banko Chelchele station are sorted by hand on arrival, then floated to remove less dense and damaged cherries. In the case of this microlot, fresh cherry is sealed into carbon fiber drums and left to ferment anaerobically (deprived of fresh oxygen) between 7 to 10 full days between 15-18 degrees Celsius. This stage allows the sugars in the fruit to develop far beyond where they would in a traditional natural without the risk of over fermenting.
After the 10-day drum fermentation, the soft and syrupy cherry mixture is carefully moved to raised screen beds to dry, slowly and gradually. Once it reaches a fully dried state, the pods are moved to a cool warehouse where they are left to rest for a number of weeks. This last step allows the internal moisture to equilibrate and the water activity to settle, preparing the green coffee for a long shelf life of vibrant flavors. Finally, the green coffee is trucked to Addis Ababa for additional sorting and preparation for export.
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