Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Aricha District

 Aricha

Woreda	Yirgacheffe
Kebele	Aricha
Altitude	1950 m
Harvest	October – February

                                      

About Aricha

While the name Aricha may be well-known, it is uncommonly known that what we are referring to is the Kebele Aricha which is located within the Woreda Yirgacheffe. Being within the Yirgacheffe umbrella, the washing stations from Aricha encapsulate the beautifully classic Ethiopia look. The hills are coloured in the bright and lush red, green and blue of the earth, the trees and the sky, with artistic brushstrokes of yellow, orange and deep purple of the coffee cherries drying on plastic sheets. The raised drying beds that rest in loosely paralleled rows across the hillside follow the topography of the land so well; they could be a natural extension of the land itself.

The workers collect and carry the coffee cherries in tightly woven baskets and gather to wash their hands and faces in the nearby stream. The work of the land and the people here create a coffee profile so wonderful that can only be matched by the natural beauty of the landscape in which it is made. The cherries from Aricha will continue to amaze the industry who values it.

Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Aricha A1

Varietal: Heirloom

Process: Natural

Lot: SPRING

Tasting notes: strawberry, raspberry, floral, ripe peach, creamy, blueberry, mango, papaya

Processing Details

• Coffees grow in small-holder farmers’ backyards (known as ‘garden coffee’) in the Yirgacheffe region

• Cherries are harvested from October – January and taken to the washing station where small-holder lots are combined

• Coffee is hand sorted to remove under- and over-ripe cherries and select cherries between 18-22º Brix

• Cherries are dried on raised beds in full sun to allow the beans to absorb the sweetness and fruitiness from the cherry pulp and skin

• During drying cherries are regularly turned to ensure even drying and maintain clarity. On very hot days cherries are covered in plastic to control drying rate

• Cherries remain on raised beds and are frequently turned for 18-30 days until moisture reaches 10-12%

• Dried beans are then stored in the dried cherry pod for protection and to maximize sugar and fruit flavour absorption until milling and export preparation

Yirgacheffe Aricha G1 Washed

Varietal: Heirloom
Process: Washed
Tasting notes: white grape, citrus, kombucha, pear, peach

Processing Details

• Coffees grow in small-holder farmers’ backyards (known as ‘garden coffee’) in the
  Yirgacheffe region
• Cherries are harvested from October – January and taken to the washing station where
  small-holder lots are combined
• Coffee is de-pulped and floaters are separated before going into large tanks for
  fermentation
• De-pulped beans are covered in water and wet-fermented for 12-24 hours to remove mucilage
• After fermentation coffee beans are rinsed thoroughly in channels to remove the last bits
  of mucilage and further separate any floaters
• Coffee beans are then moved African beds in the sun to dry for 10-15 days until moisture
  level reaches 10-12%
• On very hot days when coffee beans are on raised beds, they may be covered in plastic
  to control the rate of drying
• Dried beans are then stored in parchment for protection until milling and export
  preparation