Ethiopia Organic Yirga Cheffe, Koke Coop
Ethiopia Organic Yirga Cheffe, Koke Coop
Farm Description
Yirga Cheffe coffees are a renowned wet-processed type with effervescent brightness in the cup. This past season, buying Yirga Cheffe coffees from specific mills has been difficult, as the new Ethiopia Coffee Exchange rules took effect and the traditional auction was abandoned. The new rules mean that the coffee suppliers will be paid quickly by the exporters, and there will be a new level of transparency in pricing within the country. But it has also meant that, for the time being, we don't know the exact mill or farmer group where outstanding lots like this originate. Nonetheless, it is not like great Ethiopia lots have disappeared. And in fact we were able to buy coffees direct from the Unions (the name for a farmers' cooperative) that are traceable to the source. This is from Koke coffee mill (pronounced Ko-Kay), a part of the Yirga Cheffe Coffee Union. It was a late season lot, and comes from a place I have visited multiple times, including early in this harvest.
Cupping Notes
This coffee has amazing sweetness and brightness. It's a coffee where I feel the flavor profile is heavily influenced buy the cherry selection in harvesting: this is what coffee tastes like when only crimson-red coffee cherries are picked. I kept my sample roasts lighter, within the City to City+ range, as it always seems a crime to eclipse the wonderful brightness of a great Yirga Cheffe with an overlay of darker roast flavor. The dry fragrance is highly floral, with both rose petal and lemon blossom scents, and ripe cherry fruit notes. It has a candy-like sweetness that is underscored in the wet aromatics as well. An aroma of lavender, stone fruits and mandarin orange emerges, as wells as an amaretto hint. The cup has sweet fruited notes, floral elements, and a silky mouthfeel. Peach nectar, apricot preserves, sweet mandarin orange, almond, passion fruit juice; these are some of the delicate fruited notes that come from the lighter roasts of this coffee. Jasmine tea, rose hips and hibiscus notes come forward as the cup cools. City+ roast has a more silky body, and perhaps a slightly more refined finish, but also more restrained fruit notes. I recommend a very light roast here, although the roast color will not be attractive and there will be a wrinkly surface texture to the bean, I think it gives the best cup. And holy smokes, I made some amazing SO espresso from this coffee.


Comments
#1 koke update
There was a customer who was having some trouble wit this coffee so I roasted and cupped it again. Here are my notes on it:
I roasted it to a City level and it was right around 10:30 mins (I am on a sample roaster though). I roasted Friday and cupped it this morning (Sunday). There is a tea-like or even persimmon dryness or slight astringency in the front but that moves into the bergamot reminiscent of earl grey. The finish for me is where the sweetness comes in with almost a black cherry or candy grape (or the apricot nectar noted in the cupping above). Give it some time to breath, it really makes a difference with this coffee. The deeper fruit notes were in a nice balance with the persimmon dryness.