Description
Halo Beriti Washing Station was established in 2014 and serves 750 smallholder producers, who deliver their coffee in cherry form. This particular lot is part of a “special preparation” in which hand-sorting was done repeatedly throughout the receiving and drying process, ensuring that only perfect coffees made it into the bags.
Coffees in Ethiopia are typically traceable to the washing station level, where smallholder farmers—many of whom own less than 1/2 hectare of land, and as little as 1/8 hectare on average—deliver cherry by weight to receive payment at a market rate. The coffee is sorted and processed into lots without retaining information about whose coffee harvest is in which bag or which lot.
Tasting Notes: A wonderful light to medium roast coffee. The cup is complex, sweet, fuller bodied, with rich darker tones. A rare find, most Ethiopians are much thinner and delicate, with more of the taste emphasis on the acidic (citric/floral) notes. Tea like spice will dominate the tastes with just a hint of lemony/floral crispness upfront (unless you hit the darker roast points). Hints of jasmine in the aromatics provide a wonderful depth to the cup.
Roasting Notes: Medium chaff and even roasting, keep it in the light to medium roast levels to see it shine. Erroring a bit lighter will promote those lovely aromatics and crisp floral tones but can risk a little grassy if not quite far enough through first crack. If you get it too dark, it will be drinkable but taste a bit flat or plain. A couple extra day setup really helps smooth out the cup and bring greater depth to the flavors.
John G Turner (verified owner) –
I like dark roasted coffees. My palette is chocolate, caramel, nutty. I roasted this coffee to medium and am pleasantly surprised. Very smooth. Low acidity. Great daily drinker.
I will roast the other half a darker roast. Just to 2nd crack. Stay tuned.
bcockman (verified owner) –
Yirgacheff is perhaps one of the most talked about coffee varieties on the internet that I’ve seen, but mostly in terms of pour over (I’m espresso). I’m finally trying it, and everyone seems to be right about its fruit-forward notes. I’m also getting some spice (cardamom?) and chocolate on the back side. I tried for a medium to reduce chances of acidity. Dry End was at 3:25 with 1st crack at 7:00. I ended the roast into a bean cooler at 9:00 with 1st crack lasting through most of development. I use a Fresh Roast SR800 w/extension tube. No other mods.