Introducing our latest limited edition coffee, a stunning Supernatural Ethiopian from the Yirgacheffe region: Koke Shalaye
Cup Profile: Orange blossom & chocolate with a floral citrus finish
Origin - Ethiopia
Region - Kebele, Yirgacheffe
Farmer - Local small holders
Variety - JARC varieties: Gibirinna 74110, Serto 74112
Process - Natural / Dry process - Supernatural
Altitude - 1900 - 2100 meters above sea level
Cerification - G1
Roast - Medium
A fine example of a naturally processed coffee from Ethiopia, with a bold, floral, syrupy sweetness.
‘Supernatural’ is a relatively new processing method which augments the traditional natural sun-drying process by increasing opportunity for controlled aerobic fermentation during drying (more details below).
Koke Shalaye station is a cherry processing facility in Yirgacheffe. The station is situated at 1,973masl and processes cherries from 1890 local smallholder farmers.
The small farmers in this region typically cultivate JARC 74110, 74112 and 74165 sub-varieties of traditional Ethiopian heirloom varieties on small garden plots around their homes. These sub-varieties were developed for resistence to pest and diseases, and to increase production yeild.
The Supernatural Process
In traditional Ethiopian specialty natural processing, cherries are spread in a thin layer over a raised bed and dried in indirect or direct sunlight. For this supernatural, cherries - hand harvested and selected via Brix measurement at their optimum ripeness, then weighed and spread evenly in a thick layer on raised drying racks lined with plastic sheet. The sheet is then rolled up (not unlike a burrito) and the cherries are fermented for a pre-determined amount of time.
Unlike a strict anaerobic fermentation there is some limited oxygenation. After the fermentation period the coffee is shade dried in a thick layer. The precise recipe is a closely guarded secret and varies for each washing station with adjustments to fermentation time, cherry volume, and thickness of drying layers making up the possible variables.
In order to ensure consistency, prevent over-fermentation, and avoid mould formation, it is essential that the conditions are strictly monitored throughout. Temperature, Brix and moisture readings are recorded periodically and small adjustments to airflow and ambient temperature are made accordingly.
Once the optimum moisture content has been reached (around 12.5%) the cherries are rested in a cool environment prior to secondary processing (hulling, grading, sorting, handpicking and bagging in Grainpro bags for export).