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Our EXCEPTIONAL SELECTION COFFEEs
Organically Grown Micro Lots from: Ethiopia & Honduras
Ethiopia single origin (micro lot )
- Country: Ethiopia
- Sub Region : Gelana Abaya, Borena zone
- Producer Type : Small Holder Farmers
- Variety : Ethiopia Heirloom Varieties
- Growing Altitude 1900 MASL
- Processing : Natural/Dry Processed
Gelana Abaya Wine processed Micro lot
The indigenous ‘heirloom’ varietals - which grow wild in Ethiopia - are responsible for the unique flavour notes which make for an unusual but beautifully refined cup, characterised by strong citric acidity, sweet chocolate and very complex, floral/herbal notes. Brandy liqueur, passionfruit, cherry & strawberry, are just some of the flavours that make this coffee from Gelana & Abaya truly exceptional.
THE REGION
Gelana Abaya is a district in the Borena zone, located in the Oromia region of Ethiopia, just on the border with the Southern Nation Nationalities and People’s (SNNPR) region and close to the town of Yirgacheffe. Over a number of years, the region has developed a distinguished reputation for fine coffees, producing some of the most sought-after micro-lots in the world.
The combination of high altitude (up to 2,200m in some areas), fertile soil, consistent and plentiful rains, and an abundance of local knowledge are all contributing factors to the high status of Yirgacheffe coffees.
The Process
This grade 1 microlot is from Gelana Abaya station, was processed with extended cherry fermentation in vacuum sealed stainless steel tanks fitted with a fermentation valve to vent off CO2.
This wine process is so-called because the techniques involved have been borrowed from the wine industry. In summary, coffee cherries are fermented in sealed, oxygen deprived, stainless steel tanks with careful monitoring of temperature.
Firstly, the coffee cherries are delivered to the wet mill for careful sorting, selecting only the ripest for processing. The cherries are then placed in a stainless steel tank (pictured) with a specialised fermentation valve part filled with water. As the fermentation process begins, CO2 is released and builds up in the tank. Once the internal pressure of the tank exceeds the atmospheric pressure, the CO2 will push through the water in the valve as individual bubbles. The valve prevents any air entering the tank from the outside, allowing for extended fermentation whilst reducing the risk of spoilage and negative fermented flavours.
Fermentation time is dictated by the temperature readings inside the tank, but typically the process lasts for 4-5 days, depending on the climatic conditions. After this point the parchment coffee is thoroughly washed and graded by bean density before being dried in the sun on raised African beds for 15 to 18 days (until the ideal moisture level has been reached). In the daytime, the parchment needs to be raked and turned periodically to ensure a consistent drying process. The coffee is also covered between 12pm and 3pm to protect it from the hot sun, and at night time to protect it from rainfall and moisture. Once the cherries have sufficiently dried they are rested before being transported to a central dry mill in Addis Ababa for secondary processing (hulling, grading, sorting and handpicking)Djibouti.
SINGLE ORIGIN - HONDURAS (Parainema)
- Country: Honduras
- Region: Las Pacayas,Corquin, Copan
- Farm: Yolanda Urrea Arita
- Variety: Parainema
- Altitude: 1200 MASL
- Processing Method: Natural
Yolanda owns the farm el Triunfo, which is located in the las Pacayas area of Corquin, Copan. Yolanda manages her farm with the help of her husband and her three sons who are all studying agronomy. The farm is only small, at two hectares, and most of that is native forest and shade trees, since Yolanda believes that the key to the quality of her coffee is in the synergy of coffee with the rest of the environment.
Yolanda and her husband, Luis, manage the farms together and biodiversity is central to their approach. They have a variety of different fruit trees and native trees that attract all sorts of wildlife from birds to wild cats. On the farm they grow vegetables and raise cows, which they use the manure from to fertilise the farm. Although it's not certified, Yolanda and Luis manage their farms biodynamically.
This 2022/2023 season continued to be challenging with difficulty getting pickers to help with the peak volumes. Aruco continue to develop with having their own dry mill now in places to process all micro lots (ML's)
The producers will receive about 70% of the FOB price for their micro lots.
All micro lot coffees are processed at the Aruco Mill, to centralise and have greater control over the process; ensuring consistent procedures. The mill is situated 800 metres above sea level (MASL), giving a drier more stable environment/climate in which to dry the coffee; a much better alternative to the higher altitude farms where the weather can be less predictable.
On arrival at the mill the coffee cherries are assessed ( Brix reading taken - a measure of the amount of dissolved sugar ) and a decision is taken on the process for the coffees depending on space and what the producer has done already. The cherries are cleaned, washed and then floated to remove any that are unripe .
This coffee is then taken to the drying beds where it is dried for 20 - 30 days and turned hourly.
Subtle notes of : Banana, strawberry jam, lemon tea, grapefruit, with a good body and medium acidity.
Honduras - General
No one knows for sure exactly when coffee first reached Honduras, but it is believed that seeds arrived from Costa Rica between 1799 & 1804, amongst the goods brought by travelling merchants.
Today, Honduras is the largest coffee producer in Central America & the industry plays an important role within the national economy.
Despite the huge scale of its annual coffee production & great potential for both growth & quality development, Honduras is rarely found center stage in the Central American coffee hall of fame – a mantle more likely coveted by its neighbours, Guatemala, Costa Rica and El Salvador; & yet on paper the reputation of Honduras should be up there with those countries, since it has the same conditions to produce very good coffees.
The high average annual rainfall, which reaches 240cm in the North of the country, can also complicate the process of drying coffee once it has been harvested, prior to export.
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Honduran speciality coffees are classified using a system categorized by the height at which the coffee was grown.
Strictly High Grown (SHG), applies to coffees grown above 1200 masl, &High Grown (HG) above 1000 masl.
ALTITUDE RANGE - 1000 - 1600 MASL
AREAS SOURCED FROM- Copan, Montecillos, Agalta, Opalaca, El Paraiso, Comayagua
NUMBER OF COFFEE FARMING FAMILIES - 110,000