Ethiopia Tade GG Lot#3 Espresso

About this coffee

Tesfaye processes the days pickings each night and keeps each nights coffee separate through the entire drying stage. Each batch is tasted and anything the batch that stands out as the best of the season is kept aside and sold as microlots. This lot was picked late in the season and stored in fermentation tanks for 15 days before being dried on raised African beds for 14 days. Tesfaye hasplaced in the top 10 in the Cup of Excellence competition multiple years with his microlots. This particular microlot was one of only 3 he produced this year, and we purchased 1 of 3 bags in this lot. Tade GG (mountain forest farm) is a private farm owned by a gentleman named Tesfaye Bekele. The farm is 221hectares in area and sits between 1,830 and 1,950 meters above sea level. The generallandscape of the farm is characterised by highly sharp and rugged hills, ridges, plateaus,valleys and flats creating stunningly dramatic setting. The regionsvolcanic soil is burstswith nutrients, creating deep red and brown top-layer of soil. Tesfaye Bekele is so passionate about coffee farming that he has traveled extensively throughout Central and South America to visit coffee farms and learn about differentcultivating andprocessing methods. Tesfaye says when you buy his coffee you not only pay him, you pay the community and the environment. Tesfaye uses native heritage trees as shade and a percentage of his land is dedicated Forest and wildlife area. Tesfaye also funds a local school which he built with profits from his farm. Grades in Ethiopia depend on visual inspection for defects and on cup quality. Grade 1 is considered the highest quality coffee. Grade 1 and 2 are considered specialty coffee, grade 3-9 are classified as commercial coffee. Grade 1 is free of cup faults and taints and has zeroquakers. TheGujiregion receives ample rainfall and is marked by steep mountainous terrain. Perfect conditions to support the vast array of coffee found here. Only recently haveGujicoffees been distinguished fromneighbouringSidamoandYirgacheffeproducing areas. Due to their immense quality and unique profiles however, they are quickly gaining international recognition. While Ethiopia is famous as coffees birthplace, today it remains a specialty coffee industry darling for its incredible variety of flavors. While full traceability has been difficult in recent history, new regulations have made direct purchasing possible. Were partnering directly with farmers to help them produce top quality specialty lots that are now completely traceable, adding value for farmers and roasters, alike. The exceptional quality of Ethiopian coffee is due to a combination of factors. The genetic diversity of coffee varieties means that we find a diversity of flavor, even between (or within) farms with similar growing conditions and processing. In addition to varieties, processing methods also contribute to end quality. The final key ingredients for excellent coffee in Ethiopia are the producing traditions that have created the genetic diversity, processing infrastructure and great coffee we enjoy today. Most producers in Ethiopia are smallholders, and the majority continue to cultivate coffee using traditional methods. As a result, most coffee is grown with no chemical fertilizer or pesticide use. Coffee is almost entirely cultivated, harvested and dried using manual systems.