Ethiopia Organic Guji Sidamo Maduro
Ethiopia Organic Guji Sidamo Maduro
Farm Description
This is a coffee from a remote area of the Sidamo district, quite far from where most Sidamo coffees originate. In fact, it is mostly known for the large gold mine in the area, and sadly the local tensions between mine workers and farmers becomes open conflict. The area of Shakisso is on the Guji zone, and when I was in Ethiopia in December, the local conflict made travel there unsafe. Nonetheless, we met the farmer who produces this coffee, Haile Gebre, in Yirg Alem, and we were able get a sample to cup some of this new crop Maduro lot, in anticipation of the following harvest. Maduro? This is a dry-process coffee where extra care has been directed toward harvesting only crimson-purple coffee cherries, a deeper red than the picking point for most coffee fruit. Maduro means mature in Spanish, and I am not sure how that name was adopted for and Ethiopia coffee, but that is the one Senor Gebre chose.
This coffee is part of our Farm Gate pricing program.Cupping Notes
Everything about the sensorial analysis of this coffee becomes an object lesson about the effect of coffee cherry ripeness. The dry fragrance offers an explosive, room-filling scent of plum, melon and spice. The wet aromatic has hibiscus-rose potpourri, spiced apple cider, cinnamon bark, clove, and muscavado sugar. There is a whiff of raw cocoa nibs on the break. There is a range of cup flavors depending on roast level, but all follow the same general path, a route described by ripe fruits, a "hushed" acidity (deep-toned acidity as a direct result of mature coffee cherry), winey character, heavy body. City+ to Full City was where the flavors converged. At this roast, the cup is so remarkably sweet, it might even become cloying for some; it is a dessert coffee for sure. Flame grape, plum (with a little plum skins), melon-like ripeness, Syrah; these are some good descriptors for initial cup flavors ... but the list could be much more extensive. Spiced chocolate comes in the finish, like Ibarra Mexican hot chocolate, with clove, nutmeg and cinnamon stick accents, raw sugar panela, butterscotch rum candy. The body seems juicy and fatty as well, coating the mouth and leading to a long aftertaste. If we call your standard dry-process coffees "natural", this might be referred to as "neo-natural". It's a 90+ coffee easily for anyone who loves this flavor profile, but perhaps taboo to those who are strict washed coffee enthusiasts.
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Roast Recommendations
A slow development to City+ yields the ripe fruit notes, whereas heading toward 2nd crack results in a spice and chocolate emphasisProcessing
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Comments
#1 Unbelieveable
I roasted this last night. Ten seconds past first crack.
Initially I suspected, 14:30 minutes roast time, that there might have been a bit of green left in the bean. First sips from the hot cup had a slight piney character that made me think it was still a touch green. The body is very full and has a lot of movement. As the cup cooled I got punched in the tastebuds with winey cherry, plum and even got slapped by a peach flavor at one point. The cup really moves around as it cools. I brewed it a bit strong and plan on a slightly more dilute brew later to see how that affects the finish. The finish I had today was almost like a raisin with a bit of spice like clove. I may roast more tonight and add some more seconds after first crack. Just to make sure there was indeed no green left in the bean from my roast.
#2 I hear ya!
I can definitely echo your comments on the Maduro. It's a wild ride, it's out there, but I think it's what people, like your customers and ours, really long for in a Dry Process Ethiopia. There is no doubt it is sweet, it is like a "dessert coffee" it is so sweet. Spice, fruit, all the things you mention. Green, I haven't got that but there is a wildness in there that could be herbal - is that a bit what you mean? The quakers are an issue with this coffee. There are some very obvious ones, but I think for a small batch roaster to cull out a few quakers is not a big deal. If you were on a 1 bag machine, forget it.
#3 Quakers
I only pick out the radical quakers. For some reason I don't like changing the coffee for what it is, I rarely pick out quakers. But those radically light ones are easy to pick out.
Yeah, I think what I taste as piny could be also called herbal.
#4 Madurogasm?
Okay, sorry, MP, but if it fits, it fits! This is hands-down my favorite Sidamo we have ever had, and I've a had more than a few. Fantastic at several different roasts, I wish I could fill a pool with the beans and swim around in it. This is one of those beans that skew my perspective whenever I pick up a new cup of coffee. When this lot is all gone, and I cup other Sidamos for purchase, I will have to work really hard to get past saying, "Weeeell, its good, but its not the Maduro." Thanks for the problem, guys.
#5 quakers
there are quakers hunt - are these a pain to deal with. do you pick out quakers? just curious...
#6 Quaker Schmaker
Yeah, I always cull the serious outliers when it comes to quakers but thy to leave a certain amount of color variation in the batch. I love good naturals and accept the reality of quakers within them - I honestly don't mind taking the time to pull them. In fact, I sift through every batch I drop because my old Has Garanti tends to trap a couple of beans from each roast between the drum and the vanes and they come loose in the next roast, so I'm always careful to go through and find them, first in the cooling tray and then again in the bin I empty the roast into before bagging. I've been taking this bean a bit past city and edging towards where the fruit meets the chocolate and spice, leaving it something like 70% fruity/ 30% choco-spicey. But of course, it is stellar a bit darker, taking further into the latter part of the profile. I haven't tried it uber light, so I haven't gotten the piney thing. I want a bag of this, for real.
#7 Add me to the ever coffee will be compared to this one
Before it was the Guatemala Concepcion Pixcaya that was the jewel of my taste buds, but this one by far sets the new bar to meet.
#8 Yum? Yep, yum
So I tried the Maduro in our siphon pot after about 4 days rest. The flavors coming through exactly matched the description! (I hadn't read the description in a few weeks, so I know I wasn't biased...) So I then tried the Maduro as an SO Espresso shot: Holy Cow! The sweetest 'spro I've ever had in my life! There was a tremendous fried plantain/pineapple taste that I can't even begin to describe! It started to sour a touch as the shot cooled, but not enough to deter me from finishing the shot. I was absolutely blown away by the taste. I'm roasting it to about a City+ on a Sonofresco roaster and leaving the quakers in. Yeah, I'm hooked...