Do you love Ethiopian Washed coffees too?
There is something incredible about nicely processed Ethiopian coffees, full stop! There is an authenticity and complexity that rarely comes from anywhere else. Sasaba has been amongst our favourite Ethiopian coffees over the last 5 years. Due to processing improvements, the line between processes has narrowed.
It is no surprise or secret that over the last 15 years much of the Ethiopian coffee we buy is via Trabocca. They have offices in Addis, pay premiums and also reinvest in long-term relationships in coffee farms, mills, and schools (of the mill workers and farmers). Ethiopia is not a straightforward country to deal with (you only have to look at the news…it’s not great) and improving the long-term future is a more realistic objective than changing tribal into metro overnight. We have met some of our Ethiopian growers and can see that the system is progressive and mutually beneficial.
Country: Ethiopia
Varieties: Mixed Heirloom
Mill Owner: Tsegay Hagos Tesfaye
District: Kercha District, Guji Zone
Rainfall: 1.8-2.5 Meters per year
Soil: Clay.
2150 Meters above sea level.
Harvest: October- December
Process: Fully washed
Cup potential:
Aromatics: Lemon Tea| : Body; Light |Acidity: Sweet citrus |
As soon as this becomes drinkable, in temperature, Sasaba washed is simply incredibly sweet. The fruit sugars are comparable to lemon curd, apricot, and that all too rare cup quality that is (used as often as the word quality in some quarters, otherwise known as) peachy. On cooling, there are some black tea notes and a refreshing lime citrus finish. Black tea notes are more prevalent earlier with an under extraction, this could be ground too coarse or inconsistently.
Sasaba mill processes cherries from many small producers. They have been improving the quality over the last 3-4 years and reaping the rewards.
The mill is really remote and hard to access, but one day we will get there!.
Tsegaye, the founder of Sasaba, gives training to smallholders to improve quality and pays out premiums when the quality is outstanding.
