Ethiopia

This is a coffee that represents a journey to the high-altitude Ethiopian village of Banko, sitting at 2000 m above sea level. Here, the drupes harvested by the local small-scale farmers are delivered to the Gargari Gutiti washing station for the washing process. Rather than small, these are best described as micro-enterprises: crops grown in gardens around the homes of the farmers themselves.

The Gargari Gutiti washing station is located near the city of Gedeb - an area famed for its prestigious coffees grown in micro lots. It’s called Yirgacheffe, and is the perfect culmination of factors including altitude, fertile soil, abundant rainfall and well-established local farming traditions.
And it’s precisely these Native Ethiopian “heirloom” varieties that make every cup of coffee an experience that’s both surprising and refined. Selezione... an experience to remember.

Aroma

The earliest documented consumption of coffee dates back to Ethiopia in the year 1000. At first, only the leaves of this plant with its jasmine-scented flowers and cherry-like fruits, were boiled. Then the bean was removed, dried, toasted and boiled. The native “heirloom” varieties reveal the history of the coffee. They best express their full character when processed using the washed method: after the cherries are selected, depulped and fermented, the beans are washed and classified based on density, before being dried in the sun for 10-12 days on raised African beds. The parchment they’re placed on is turned periodically to ensure constant and even drying, and covered during the hottest times of day and at night. Once dried to the right degree, the coffee is transported to Addis Ababa for grinding and packaging in special GrainPro bags, ready for export.

"I chose to include this Ethiopia Yirgacheffe in Omkafè’s Selezione line because of its extraordinary aromatic complexity and degree of elegance it reveals in every tasting. Each sip is an experience comprising delicate notes of jasmine flowers that mingle harmoniously with bergamot and candied orange peel. This coffee is a celebration of the rich Ethiopian coffee growing heritage and the innovation of the manufacturing processes, conferring a dense body and refined finish."