Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Washed Gr. 1 – Idido Valley

Description

Idido is part of Yirgacheffe, one of 8 woredas, or districts, that together comprise the dense and competitive highland zone of Gedeo. (The entire Gedeo zone is often referred to as “Yirgacheffe” thanks to the notoriety of this particular district.) Idido is one of Ethiopia’s best-known communities. It’s centrally located among Yirgacheffe producers, being just a few kilometers outside the town of Yirga Chefe itself a surprisingly small community given its mythical stature as one of the world’s most gifted coffee landscapes. As a coffee terroir, this part of Gedeo has for decades been considered a benchmark for beauty and complexity in arabica coffee known for being beguilingly ornate and jasmine-like when fully washed, and seductively punchy and sweet when sundried–and hardly requires an introduction.

This was Idido’s only washed coffee this season. The coffee was hand-sorted throughout the entire 18-day drying process and then rested for four weeks before milling, once the seeds had reached a consistent moisture content of 11.2%.$0.10 per pound from the Malebo proceeds supports the Ardent Children Center, a local orphanage built and funded by Ardent Coffee Exporter. The ACC was established to provide orphan and semi-orphan children with adequate food, healthcare, education, and play, ensuring a safe and happy childhood.

Tasting Notes:A very clean and elegant washed Ethiopian a clear example of a high-end Yirgacheffe. Jasmine aromatics with citrus highlights right from the grind, leading into a cup with bright, lemon-like acidity and a strong jasmine tea character, supported by a chocolaty, lightly spiced undertone. As it cools, the cup gains body and intensity, with the acidity becoming sharper and more defined while the chocolaty notes step into the background, letting the floral and citric character take the spotlight. Lighter roasts emphasize citric acidity, jasmine tea and a subtle caramel sweetness; medium roasts balance chocolate and tropical fruit with more body and a smoother finish; darker roasts tame the acidity and bring out deeper bakers chocolate tones. A very flexible coffee that keeps a bit of everything across the roast spectrum.

Roasting Notes:A very easy coffee to roast, behaving predictably in the drum and producing very little chaff, which makes it comfortable to work with even on home roasters. For a balanced cup, extend the roast a bit past first crack without approaching second  this is where chocolate and tropical fruit meet in the most harmonious way. For brighter, more aromatic profiles with caramel sweetness and pronounced citric acidity, pull it just after first crack settles and let the floral and jasmine tea notes lead. Darker roasts are not our recommendation for this lot, since much of what makes it special  the florals, the citrus and the tea-like quality  gets burned off, leaving smokier, bakers chocolate tones; that said, it still delivers a pleasant, drinkable cup, which speaks to the overall flexibility of this coffee.

Processing Details:Private processors will often attempt to collaborate with select communities to keep the coffee traceable and the terroir focused. For this lot, the processing station, managed by Mesele Haile, and hundreds of farmers from the Idido community contribute cherries to the station.  Cherries are all floated for density and then placed directly onto drying beds, where they will be consistently turned and rotated for the few weeks that drying requires. The beds are covered at night to protect the cherry from settling humidity, as well as for a few hours each afternoon to prevent scorching from the searingly-hot midday sun.

Exporting Details:It’s tough being a private processor in Gedeo, as the sheer density of competition among stations tends to push cherry prices as high as double throughout a single harvest, and private stations often don’t have the backing of a larger union to secure financing, regulate cherry prices, or bring export costs down with centralized milling and marketing. Successful private stations need standout quality processors and must also be excellent business developers with connections and community standing to continue winning the business of farmers and buyers alike, and stay afloat for the long term.