Ethiopia

The district of Nensebo, West Arsi, is located in the western part of the Oromia region, where high altitudes of around 1950 meters and the perfect terroir create ideal conditions for the production of extremely high-quality coffee.

In this region, coffee is produced by smallholders who, on average, own 1 to 1.5 hectares of land where coffee is cultivated with care and attention passed down through generations. The plants are grown traditionally under the shade of other fruit trees and other crops, which provide greater resilience to the farmers and maintain perfect biodiversity.

In addition to a diverse cultivation of botanical species within the plantation, the 750 contributing producers to this coffee lot are certified organic and do not use chemical fertilizers or pesticides. Most of the agricultural work is done manually, and very few activities are mechanized.

The cultivated varieties are a mix of indigenous varieties classified by the JARC (Jimma Agricultural Research Centre) and other local varieties. In small plantations, almost all the work is done within the family. The farmers selectively handpick all the ripest cherries and deliver them to the AASH washing station. Here, the cherries are re-sorted to remove any defects and de-pulped. Fermentation takes place in tanks for 36 to 48 hours before going through the water-washing process. Drying occurs on raised beds, where the parchment-covered beans are regularly rotated to ensure even drying. This process takes from 7 to 11 days to complete.

In the cup, it presents itself as a coffee with a complex aromatic profile, with citrus and floral notes reminiscent of Earl Grey tea. The body is delicate and silky, and the acidity is bright but well-balanced by the sweetness found in this cup, which also lingers in the aftertaste.

According to the SCA cupping protocol, this coffee received a score of 87 points.