A fantastic Ethiopia Grade 1 prepared according to the natural process (unwashed) has just arrived at our laboratory. With two roasting profiles crafted, respectively, for filter or espresso extractions, this specialty coffee highlights all the typical traits of the best Ethiopias: lots of fruit, including peaches and blueberries, honey, buttery mouthfeel and a full body.

This specialty comes from Bookkisa, a sub kebele (the smallest Ethiopian administrative unit) near the city of Shakiso, in the Guji area, where a cooperative of 33 farmers takes its name from the kebele. Their crops are small, less than 2.5 hectares each, and coffee plants grow under the shade of the natural forest, just like most of the cafes in the Guji area. All the cooperative farmers received training in agronomy and post-harvest processes from the agronomist Ture Waji, known as "King of Guji."

During processing, each specialty microlot is isolated per day of collection. Our microlot was produced according to a natural, unwashed process.

Cherries are collected and selected by hand. The elimination of the little or overripe ones permits to obtain a sweeter and cleaner final product.

The fruits are then placed on the raised drying tables. The first drying phase is crucial for determining the quality of the coffee in the cup. Cherries are scattered in relatively thin layers to avoid overly fermented aromas and are continuously turned until they reach a moisture content comparable to that of raisins (about 25%) after a few days.

In the second phase, the residual humidity is further reduced from 25% to 12%. Cherries are arranged in thicker layers and continuously rotated during the day and covered at night.

Once the desired humidity level is reached, through the so-called mechanical process of hulling, dried pulp and parchment are removed from each coffee bean.

The beans are finally selected again by hand to identify any residual defects, separated by degree, and finally inserted in Grain Pro bags inside jute bags to protect them from humidity during transport and avoid any contamination.

Minimum resting period: 10 days from roast date for espresso roast, 5 days for filter roast.