Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Banko Gotiti Natural Gr1

Country: Ethiopia
Region: Gotiti, Yirgacheffe
Varietal: Heirloom
Process: Natural
Altitude: 2,200 - 2,300 MASL
Cupping Notes: Green Apple, Sangria, Sugarcane

Description: The region where the Banko Gotiti washing station lies is on the edge of the Yirgacheffe growing region, bordering Guji. This area produces some of the most vibrant cups in the country, and this natural is one of those. Coffee growers who deliver to this station farm largely organically, using very little or no fertilizer and pesticides. Most farmers also intercrop their coffees trees with other foods to make the most use of their often very small farms, typically 1/2 hectare. Banko Gotiti pays a premium to ensure only ripe cherries are delivered, and coffee is hand sorted upon arriving to the station.

Drying a naturals at Banko Gotiti is done slowly on raised beds, taking roughly 20 days depending on weather conditions, which is great for the stability of the green coffee. For the first day of drying, coffee is kept in a single layer and moved twice an hour to make sure that this delicate part of the drying process is done uniformly. After 3 days of this drying protocol, coffee is stable enough for drying in layers of 2 until it reaches ideal moisture content. Once finished, it “conditions” in the warehouse for about a week before being hulled.

At the impressive elevations that these coffees are grown, it comes as no surprise that the quality is also impressive. Year after year, the naturals we bring in from Banko Gotiti are vibrant, dynamic, with crystal clear clarity. This year we got notes of Green Apple and Cranberry in the acidity, a deep fruity characteristic of Sangria (fruity red wine), and a sweetness of Sugarcane.