Description
This is one of the winning lots from my travels to Ethiopian in Feb 2025. Processed and exported by Dumerso, which was one of the cooler exporters I ran into. Female owned, with a 95% female workforce, they own some of their own wet-mills, including Hirut, but will also purchasing nice lots from wet-mills outside of their ownership circles depending on needs. Super caring folks that went well above and beyond to support the small holder farmers.
This wonderful example of washed processed Ethiopian comes from 232 smallholder farmers delivering ripe cherries to the Hirut (Dumerso) processing station in the heart of Yirgacheffe—specifically in the Yirga Chefe woreda, the micro-region that gives the coffee its name. Grown above 6200 feet, this is some seriously high altitude coffee, composed of Ethiopian landraces/heirlooms strains, and sun-dried on raised beds.
The Yirgacheffe environment is fiercely competitive: dense smallholders (many with <1 ha) and multiple processors vying for quality. The station was built in 1998, acquired by Hirut Berhanu in 2010, completely remodeled, and reopened for the 2013 harvest. Today it employs 400+ seasonal workers (~95% women) under the guidance of manager/QC Abenet Alemu son, who cares as much about cup quality as about connecting with the community.
With the operation now mature, the team formalized Dumerso Industrial Trading PLC to grind and export directly, and expanded benefits: loans and healthcare for staff, housing for seasonal workers, energy equipment for residents, and a project to press parchment as biofuel (additional income and reduced pressure on forests). The station has obtained Organic and Rainforest Alliance certifications at the plant level; this specific lot is marketed as Conventional.
Testing Notes: Best at light to medium roast levels but depending on personal taste, works nicely from light to dark. A crisp, clean, sweet and very floral cup (jasmine like), with some classic Yirgacheffe chocolate and tea-like spice contrast. Light roasts are delicate and pretty bright, accentuating the floral but also the herbal tea like components. Overall the acidity is medium and is perceived more as mandarin orange than sharp lemon; the sweetness is reminiscent of caramel, and as the temperature drops, a cocoa base is felt, adding more body. Subtle fruity notes (blackberry/sweet citrus) and a slight spice note; a silky medium body and a very clean finish with hints of honey and cocoa. A rich and expressive coffee in which, although there is fruit, the floral notes dominate with a tea-like character.
Roasting Notes: High-altitude washed lot, easy and even to roast. Low to medium chaff levels, it shines from light to medium: in light (City–City+), the jasmine and tea-like qualities are maximized with a citrus sparkle; slight “peanut butter” nuances may appear in the lighter profiles. In the middle (Full City), it achieves its best balance: the lemon softens toward caramel/honey, the cocoa integrates, and the body rounds out. Pushing it darker, it gains body and chocolate like tones but will mute most of the floral and fruit notes.
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