High-grown and double washed to achieve an exceptionally clean cup profile, the Kochere is replete with stone fruit sweetness and intoxicating floral character heightened by a silky mouthfeel that carries into the finish. Its Grade 1 designation, awarded only to spectacular washed Ethiopian coffees, speaks to this lot's celebrated appeal.
The Kochere district is a few kilometers south of the legendary town of Yirgacheffe in the Gedeo Zone. Coffees from this region are considered among the finest on earth. The Kochere grows under a semi-forested shade canopy at the peak altitude for Yirgacheffe's coffee production.
Farmers in the region cultivate their Ethiopian heirloom varietals without the use of chemical fertilizers. In fact, nearly all coffee in Ethiopia is default organic regardless of having received certification. Pristine growing practices and precise processing methods contribute mightily to the world-class status that coffee from this region routinely earns.
Since Ethiopia is the only major coffee producing country that consumes the equivalent of its export, it stands to reason that meticulous care is taken with each harvest. The Kochere is sourced from 700 family-owned farms whose growers deliver ripe coffee cherries to the Alemu Bukato washing station where they are carefully sorted, depulped, fermented, washed and placed on raised beds to ensure proper air circulation and temperature control. Coffee is turned regularly on the beds to prevent damage during the drying process and stored in a local warehouse after the moisture content has been reduced. The beans are then transported to Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, to be milled and bagged prior to export.
Grower: 700 smallholder farmers organized around Alemu Bukato's washing station located within the Gedeb district
Variety: Indigenous heirloom varieties and selections
Region: Kochere District, Gedeo Zone, Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Regional State, Ethiopia
Harvest: October - December
Altitude: 1900 - 2100 masl
Soil: Luvisols
Process: Fully washed after pulping and fermenting followed by an overnight soak, then dried on raised beds
