This is the first year that we have bought this washed lot from the Gedeb washing station, after being blown away by it on multiple blind cupping tables we had to share it with ...
This is the first year that we have bought this washed lot from the Gedeb washing station, after being blown away by it on multiple blind cupping tables we had to share it with our customers. For us this coffee is a prime example of what we love about washed Ethiopians, particularly from the Yirgacheffe region. This lot is intensely sweet with clear and defined stone fruit and floral notes like ripe nectarine, dried apricot and honeysuckle with a hint of fudge.
The Gedeb washing station is located near the town of Gedeb, in the well-known Yirgacheffe area and is one of several washing stations owned and operated by Lulo Coffee. Lulo Coffee was founded relatively recently by Q-Processing professional, Robel Kidane, with the aim of building a vertically integrated exporting company that can ensure transparency, quality and environmental and social responsibility.
Something that we find amazing about many Ethiopian coffees is how traditional the farming and processing practices can be and yet how beautiful the cup quality can be. This washed lot from the Gedeb washing station is a shining example of a coffee that is produced in a fairly traditional way and is made up of cherry from over 200 small holders but is one of the highest quality washed coffees we have cupped this year. Most farmers in the region farm on fewer than 5 hectares (many counting their coffee farms in terms of trees rather than area). Cultivation methods remain traditional and coffee is grown as part of an integrated ‘coffee garden’, intercropped with other food crops.
Wherever possible, Lulo tries to promote biodiversity and regenerative agricultural practices to sustain healthy soils that are nourishing to the coffee trees and the local ecosystems. Although the Gedeb washing station and its contributing small holders are not yet organic certified, the farmers don’t use synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Instead, organic fertilizer is used made from coffee pulp, leaves, mowed weeds and cow manure.
For every 4 coffee trees that are planted they also plant one false banana tree and one indigenous tree. False banana holds water in the trunk from the rainy season and then disperses it back into the soil during the dry season.
With washed coffees, one of the most damaging by-products is the wastewater from the fermentation and washing process which can make its way into the local river systems. To mitigate this, Gedeb have a system to neutralize the PH of the wastewater and filter out any coffee pulp before it returns to the drainage basin.
As the plant, Coffea Arabica, first evolved in Ethiopia and South Sudan, there are thousands of different varieties growing wild in the countryside of Ethiopia. Most of these varieties are unidentified and are referred to as “Heirloom” or “Landrace” varieties. However, in 1967, the Jimma Agricultural Research Centre (JARC) was set up to identify different varieties, their benefits and to breed varieties that will benefit farmers with productivity, pest and disease resistance and cup quality. This lot is made up of a combination of selected JARC varieties, such as Dega, Wolisho and Kudhume and also wild Ethiopian Landrace varieties that have been cultivated in the area for many years.
Due to the small size of most plots, coffee is typically handpicked by landowners and their family. All coffee is selectively hand-harvested before being delivered to a collection centre or directly to the washing station. At the washing station, coffee is sorted to remove damaged or underripe cherry and is then delivered to the pulpers to be pulped. It will then be fermented for around 24 hours, depending on the weather conditions.
Once fermentation is complete the parchment is thoroughly washed and then graded in washing channels, separating each lot into two grades based on density. Once graded, the coffee is sometimes soaked under clean spring water in tanks for 12-24 hours to remove all traces of fermented mucilage.
After washing, parchment is delivered to raised beds to dry under shade for 10-14 days until moisture content reaches 12%. During this time, the parchment is regularly turned and hand-sorted several times to remove any damaged or discoloured beans. Parchment is covered with plastic during the hottest hours of the day to protect the parchment from drying too quickly and overnight to prevent condensation from seeping into the drying parchment. This level of labour and love results in a truly exquisite cup profile.