Let’s begin with a simple truth: great coffee doesn’t just happen. It’s nurtured, picked, processed, shipped, roasted, and brewed—all with careful attention to detail. Consider our Ethiopian Yirgacheffe from the Idido washing station as a case in point. It’s a Grade 1 natural coffee, sourced from smallholder farmers in one of coffee’s ancestral homelands. But what does that actually mean?
At the Origin:
Yirgacheffe, in the Gedeo Zone, is highland territory—1,850 to 1,880 meters above sea level. The elevation isn’t just a bragging point: it slows cherry maturation, intensifying sweetness and flavor complexity. The farmers, many of whom tend tiny garden-like plots, deliver their ripe cherries to the Idido station, where trained eyes sort only the best. No shortcuts, no guesswork.
Natural Processing & Flavor Development:
Natural processing is as old-world as coffee itself. Instead of pulping and washing, the cherries sun-dry whole, fruit and all. This method infuses the beans with the fruit’s own sugars, resulting in vibrant berry notes and a whisper of malt-like sweetness. Think of it as gently coaxing every last drop of natural flavor from the cherry’s skin and pulp.
Why It Matters:
The final cup sings with delicate florals and berry sweetness, layered atop a soft acidity that never overwhelms. It’s a coffee that makes you sit up, pay attention, and appreciate the synergy of altitude, biodiversity, and meticulous care. By the time it reaches our roastery, we’re simply preserving what the farmers and environment created—adjusting roast profiles to highlight these flavors without ever overshadowing them.
At Your Table:
Brew it in a pour-over to relish those floral aromatics, or try a French press to reveal a rounder, more decadent body. However you prepare it, you’re tasting the essence of Yirgacheffe’s terroir, one carefully harvested cherry at a time.
