Origin: Sidamo Region
Varietal: Arabica Typica
Process: Washed
Aroma: Floral, fruity
Body: Exotic, exciting
Tasting Notes: Jasmine & Black Cherry
Finish: Soft, delicate
Ethiopian Yirgacheffe is grown at altitudes ranging from 1,800 to 2,100 meters above sea level. The soil is 50 percent volcanic and 25 percent sedimentary. The famous legend of coffee goes back to the 3rd century A.D. when an Ethiopian goat herder, named Kaldi, noticed his herd behaving like young, frolicking kids after eating some stimulating red berries. Kaldi shared his discovery with the abbot of a nearby monastery, who decided to test the power of the berry himself. He poured boiling water onto the berries he had collected and made a drink which he found helped help him to stay awake during long hours of prayer and perhaps the contemplation of other pursuits.
Today, Ethiopian Yirgacheffe is grown in the Sidamo region, within the town of Yirgacheffe, in the Southern part of the country close to Lake Abaya. The region is responsible for the highest coffee production in Ethiopia. In the past Sidamo was the main territory for the Kingdom of Sidama, a rich and proliferous state due to its coffee plantations. After the Italian occupation, the Kingdom disappeared and merged with other conquered territories, creating the Sidamo region as it exists today.
A soft floral aroma of jasmine rolls off the cup, with notes of dark berries, citrus, and a subtle, chocolaty tone in the aftertaste.
