Producer: Tsegab Tulu and Heleph Coffee
Altitude: 2300 - 2410 MASL
Varietal: Heirloom
Harvest: November - January
Process: Natural Anaerobic Fermentation
Ayele Tulu washing station sits amongst the hilltops of Bona Zuria in Sidama.
Occupying the highest altitude of the region Ayele has amazing growing conditions, allowing for some incredible tasting coffees.
This is the first time we have partnered with the producers there; as is often the case, the higher ground brings coffees that are more complex, with greater sweetness in the cup - we were so impressed with the quality we took both their washed and naturally processed coffees …
Our tasting notes:
This natural lot is a jammy fruit bomb! Strawberries, grapefruit and wine gums
Natural anaerobic preparation. Prepared using an anaerobic fermentation: The first part of this process involves mixing de-pulped and partially intact cherry, these are placed in barrels and allowed to ferment for around 25 hours before being slowly sun-dried over 5-6 weeks. The result in the cup is a super-jammy fruit bomb … strawberries, grapefruit and wine gums - everything we want from an Ethiopian natural!
Ethiopia … where do we start? Amazing flavour range and quality that can be truly exceptional - an origin we fall in love with every year.
Until three years ago, Ethiopian coffee was mainly traded through the Ethiopian Coffee Exchange (ECX). There, coffees were brought in as regional blends and auctioned off to the highest bidder, leading to coffee drinkers becoming familiar with particular regions and flavour characteristics; for example Sidama, Limu or Yirgacheffe.
Long known for producing exceptional coffees, Sidama (often referred to as Sidamo) is divided into 30 districts, Bona Zuria occupies the highest ground in the region - altitudes there average at 2200M, some areas reaching as high as 2450M. As is often the case in coffee, the higher ground brings with it greater sweetness and complexity. Here coffee cherries take longer to grow, develop and ripen; the slower maturation allows more sugars to develop, adding a layered acidity in the cup.
