Discovery Subscription (2024, 1) - Sidamo
Ethiopia
Sidamo
This month’s lots have been purchased from Moplaco’s partner stations in the Sidamo region. Moplaco, our long term partner in Ethiopia, was founded in 1972 by the Georgalis family, and has been run for the last 15 years by Heleanna. Heleanna led Moplaco’s expansion into Ethiopia’s southern coffee lands, Yirgacheffe, Sidamo, Guji, cementing their commitment to modern speciality coffee. This month’s coffees were produced in the Sidamo region, on the lush fertile borders of the Harenna forest, where coffee still grows wild under natural forest cover.
The washed lot from Nansebo has a ripe stone fruit character, lifted by a bright acidity and deep floral aromas. The natural Chire has a deep and sweet character reminiscent of candied fruits and milk chocolate, punctuated by a fresh acidity and soft violet florals.
Moplaco
This month’s lots have been purchased from Moplaco’s partner stations in the Sidamo region. Moplaco, our long term partner in Ethiopia, was founded in 1972 by the Georgalis family, and has been run for the last 15 years by Heleanna. Heleanna led Moplaco’s expansion into Ethiopia’s southern coffee lands, Yirgacheffe, Sidamo, Guji, cementing their commitment to modern speciality coffee.
This month’s coffees were produced in the Sidamo region, on the lush fertile borders of the Harenna forest, where coffee still grows wild under natural forest cover.
It was through their work in the local area, especially at their nearby Bensa Logita station, that Moplaco were able to start supporting the production of coffees from neighbouring stations. Producing coffee in rural Ethiopia requires a great deal of financing, which is difficult to find in these areas. Larger companies based in Addis Ababa are able to support rural processing stations financially, allowing them to start buying cherry early in the harvest season, and guarantee to buy their lots once harvest ends. This process is known as vertical integration, and also requires a great deal of technical and agronomic support, in order to assure the quality of the finished lots.
The Harenna forest
Here on the edge of the Harenna forest we find very high altitude, with coffee able to grow at up to 2300 masl due to the protection the forest provides. This leads to conditions that are perfect for growing high quality Arabica coffees, with cool temperatures and especially cool nights leading to slow cherry maturation and very dense seeds. Both of this month’s lots showcase the incredible sugar development within these slowly matured cherries, leading to the heavier character we find in Sidamo, more reminiscent of ripe stone fruit than the bright citrus than we find further west in Yirgacheffe.
Nansebo
This washed lot was produced at the Moplaco’s partner station, Bulga Lemi, named for the village of Bulga where the cherries are collected. Bulga lies in the Nansebo district, a short drive north of the town of the same name, under the cover of the Harenna forest. This washed lot has a ripe stone fruit character, lifted by a bright acidity and deep floral aromas.
Chire
Further south, closer to Nansebo town, lies the Bensa Chire station, mainly collecting cherry in the village of Kubulta. This lot was processed as a natural, enabled by the stable, dry and sunny conditions during harvest. This leads to a deep and sweet character reminiscent of candied fruits and milk chocolate, punctuated by a fresh acidity and soft violet florals.
V60
Brew Guide
For Ethiopian coffees we like a recipe that highlights the aroma and acidity of the coffees. For this we use hotter water and coarser grind, we also aim for a quicker brew time.
DATA
15 grams of medium fine grind
250 grams of water 30-50 ppm 96°C
METHOD
0:00 Pour the bloom 60g
0:45 Pour up to 250g
Total brew time should be 2:00 - 2:30
Purchasing coffees from Ethiopia
Coffee in Ethiopia is special for many reasons. The genetic diversity of the plants, growing in biodiverse polyculture systems in their native terroir results in a unique flavour profile. The systems here also make getting the best coffees out of Ethiopia a special challenge. Government control over exports, lack of access to foreign currency, and rampant inflation have affected the coffee market this year, leading to significant price hikes across the board. Travel to Ethiopia is always inspiring, observing the work of dedicated individuals under all of these circumstances, not to mention the challenges that have faced wider Ethiopian society in recent years.
We are currently in the process of preparing our travel to Ethiopia for 2024, visiting our close partners at Moplaco both in the field and in the cupping lab. We look forward to another inspiring and informative journey, on our way to sharing Heleanna’s finest Ethiopian coffees again in 2024.