Description
Ethiopia Awash River Natural is a naturally processed single origin from smallholder farms in the Guji region of southern Ethiopia. The cherries are dried whole in the sun, so the sugars in the fruit work their way into the bean and arrive in the cup as apricot and lemon over a deep, soft toffee sweetness. We roast it to a medium profile that keeps the fruit forward and the finish clean — it is as good in a cafetière or a filter as it is as espresso.
Where it comes from
The Awash is one of Ethiopia’s great rivers, cutting through the Rift Valley and feeding the farmland on either side of it. This lot comes from smallholder farmers in Guji working the high ground watered by the river and its many tributaries — fertile soil, altitude and long sunny days, the conditions arabica likes best. The trees are Ethiopian heirloom varieties, many of them descended from the wild forest coffee that still grows across the south of the country.
How it is processed
Awash River is a natural, or dry process, coffee. Ripe cherries are picked and dried whole in the sun on patios and raised African beds for around twelve to fifteen days, depending on the weather. The beds let the air move under the fruit, the cherries are turned regularly so they dry evenly, and they are covered at night to keep the rain and damp off. Once the moisture is right the dried cherries rest in a cool store before being hulled, graded and hand-picked for export.
In the cup
Apricot and lemon up front, a long toffee sweetness underneath, and the rounder, fruitier cup that sun-drying gives. It makes a bright, sweet filter and a rich espresso, and it holds its fruit when you add milk.
How to buy it
Take it whole bean or ground for Espresso, Filter, Cafetière, Aeropress, Chemex or Stove Top, in 80g, 250g, 500g or 1kg. Every bag is roasted to order and sent out next working day, and you can put it on subscription at a lower price if you want it coming round again.
