This washing station is owned by the inspiring young producer, Hirut Gute, who went into business with her own farm when she was only 23. We love supporting younger producers, and this coffee really shines. In the cup we find purple florals, white peach, and lemon zest.
Ethiopian Landrace
Yirgacheffe
2,200 masl
December, 2022
Hand-picked at peak ripeness. Floated to further remove defects. De-pulped on the day of harvest. Wet fermented for 48-72 hours. Dried on raised beds.
Hirut went into the coffee business at the age of 23, deciding to produce specialty-grade, naturally-processed coffees from her 17 hectare (42 acre) farm high in the mountains of Tulise. She started the Tulise washing station just last year, and is currently buying cherry from about 515 local farmers. We're very excited about the future of Hirut and her emerging site.
Ethiopia is widely acknowledged as where coffee originated, and its production continues to represent about 10% of the country’s gross domestic product. DNA testing has confirmed over 60 distinct varieties growing in Ethiopia, making it home to the most coffee biodiversity of any region in the world. Given the tradition of coffee production in Ethiopia and the political interworkings of the Ethiopian coffee trade, it is virtually impossible to get single variety coffee lots from Ethiopia. This is changing, albeit very slowly. Most Ethiopian coffees are blends of the many Ethiopian varieties, and referred to simply as 'Ethiopian Landrace'.
The cost of getting a coffee from cherry to beverage varies enormously depending on its place of origin and the location of its consumption. The inclusion of price transparency is a starting point to inform broader conversation around the true costs of production and the sustainability of specialty coffee as a whole.