Ethiopia Banko Chelchele Lemongrass Co-Ferment

COUNTRY: Ethiopia
REGION: Banko Chelchele Kebele, Gedeo
FARM: Small Holders
VARIETY: Heirloom 74110, 74112
PROCESS: Anaerobic Natural Lemongrass Co-Ferment
ELEVATION: 1950-2300 M
CUPPING NOTES: Lemongrass, Plum, Marzipan     

     This coffee comes from smallholders in the Chelchele area, part of the Gedeb district in southern Gedeo Zone, where some of Ethiopia’s most complex and aromatic naturals come from year after year. Gedeb is a unique area dense with coffee growers and processors. The coffee was processed at a central site in Banko Chelchele, one of the district’s most prolific coffee areas.
     This co-ferment involves an anaerobic fermentation with lemongrass from the surrounding shores of Lake Hawasa, The quality of cherry, the attention to detail in the fermentation process, and the fresh lemongrass come together to make a coffee that is more than the sum of it’s parts.
     Normally, naturals at the Banko Chelchele station are hand-sorted upon delivery and moved directly to raised screen beds to sun-dry. In the case of this special microlot, fresh cherry is sealed into carbon fiber drums with fresh cuttings of local rue and left to ferment anaerobically (deprived of fresh oxygen) for 10 full days between 15-18 degrees Celsius. This stage allows the sugars in the fruit to develop far beyond where they would in a traditional natural without the risk of over fermenting. The addition of lemongrass infuses the cherry must that surrounds the fruit and creates new aromatic esters in the fermentation that wouldn’t otherwise form.
     After the 10-day drum fermentation, the soft and syrupy cherry mixture is carefully moved to raised screen beds to dry, slowly and gradually, between 15-20 days. Once it reaches 11% moisture, the pods are moved to a cool warehouse where they are left to rest for a number of weeks. This last step allows the internal moisture to equilibrate and the water activity to settle, preparing the green coffee for a long shelf life of vibrant flavors.
     Ethiopia co-ferments are wildly rare and of this caliber, ever more so. This coffee shines and although it is a co-ferment, it won’t overwhelm the senses like some other co-ferments.  This uses herbs instead of fruits, and because of this, the flavors are much less cartoonish.  You are left with a carefully harvested, well processed and clean but exciting cup profile that is truly unique and memorable.