This lot of coffee was grown by 750 small independent farmers in the kebele (local village) of Werka. The majority of these farms are tiny - on average between just 2-5 hectares - and coffee is grown organically as the main cash crop, alongside subsistence crops like corn, grain and bananas.
The extremely high elevation of these farms (between 1,950-2,150m above sea level) along with the cool climate of this area form perfect growing conditions for coffee. Here, the cherries develop and ripen slowly, leading to denser, sweeter beans and more complex flavour profiles in the cup.
The coffee was picked and delivered daily to Gara Kone washing station, which is owned and managed by Testi Coffee: a family-owned business that was founded by Mr Faysel A Yonis. This particular lot was produced as part of Testi’s quality development program, Premium Cherrry Selection (PCS), which was launched in 2018 to support farmers to grow, harvest and process using best practices, with Testi paying a premium to farmers who pick and deliver only the ripest cherries.
About the Coffee
This lot is made up of the local landrace variety Wolisho. Sidama is home to many landrace varieties; these were selected directly from the forest and have been successfully propagated for many years. Along with Wolisho, there are four other popular varieties, which along with Wolisho are named after native trees of the area - Bedessa, Kudhumi, Mique and Sawe.
Little is known about the history of these varieties, however they play a major role in the reputation for quality and floral flavour profiles that this region is famous for.
The lot was processed at Gara Kone using the natural method. Once hand-picked cherries were delivered to the washing station, they were hand-sorted to remove any unripe, overripe or damaged fruit, and then graded by weight. They were then spread thinly and evenly on raised African beds to dry in the sun. The cherries were delicately and regularly turned in order to encourage consistent drying and stop them from developing too much ferment.
The coffee was covered both overnight and during the highest heat of the day, and once it reached the optimum moisture level, it was hulled, then rested in bags in parchment until ready for export.
This information and images have kindly been shared with us by our import partners Melbourne Coffee Merchants.