ETHIOPIAN YIRGACHEFFE SESOTA DARK COFFEE

Ethiopian Yirgacheffe coffees are famed for their beautiful fragrance. The coffee taster's lexicon is used to it's full in striving to describe some of the aromatics that are glimpsed in the coffee's aroma, both roasted and brewed. When darkly roasted of course some of these complexities are lost yet it still retains its distinctive character. The citrus acidity changes to a dark fruit sweetness, hints of blackcurrant, spice, nutmeg, bonfire toffee and a sugar cane aftertaste make it one of the most refined of darkly roasted coffees. The coffee grown in this lush, green, mountainous area at altitudes up to 8,000 feet is referred to as 'garden coffee' due to most of it being grown on small-holdings of less than 1 hectare producing something up to 5 sacks of coffee beans. Farmers take their coffees to be processed at co-operative stations, where beans of exceptional quality will be blended and selected for the Grade 1 coffee we buy. We favour the Sesota station in the tiny Kochere District, but will always buy wherever the coffee is the best. Most coffees are organic by default but are seldom certified due to onerous costs. Organic compost is common, pruning less common. Yirgacheffe is a small area within the Sidama region of Ethiopia in the Rift Valley.