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Ethiopia Guji Tsebel Washed Organic
Tsebel (pronounced “Seh-bull” with a silent “T”) is the washed version of Catalyst Trade’s Dur Feres program. That means it’s a carefully curated community lot with two goals in mind. First and foremost, responsible sourcing in partnership with local producers. Second, while the washing station might change from harvest to harvest, the blend should always result in that “classic” washed Ethiopian profile: clean, floral and well-balanced.
After cupping this coffee, we can safely say the sourcing team at Catalyst has absolutely met their goal. This cup has harmonious balance and crystal clear cleanliness. The body is understated and tea-like with a gentle, silky texture. And of course, plenty of florals and light, bright fruit! We noted jasmine, lilac, lemon zest, peach and cane sugar. A refreshing and light cup purpose made for folks who enjoy a delicate and clean cup.
Reminder! This coffee is raw, you must roast it before brewing
Arrival Date: December 23rd, 2022. Harvest year: 2022, packed in GrainPro
Acidity & Brightness: Crisp acidity and mildly sweet
Balance & Finish: Harmonious and very clean finish
Body & Texture: Tea-like and relatively delicate texture
Flavors: Lilac, jasmine blossoms, white peach, lemon sugar & cane juice
Grade: Blend of Grade 1 and Grade 2, grown at 1,850 to 1,950 masl
Processing: Washed (wet) processed
Certifications: NOP and JAS Organic Certified, C.A.F.E. Practices
Grower: Smallholders and outgrowers throughout Guji| Aklilu Kassa’s washing station
Region: Multiple sites in Guji, Hambela Wamena District, Guji Zone, Ethiopia
Varietals: Guji, Typica, Heirloom
Recommended Roast Range: City to Full City (Light to medium)
Start at City (light) or just about 30 seconds into rolling first crack. From there, go a bit darker if desired, but we find it best not to go any darker than Full City (Medium or after the end of first crack and before 2nd crack starts). Most folks will prefer a City + or at the tail end of first crack. Lighter roasts will have more zesty, citrus acidity while medium roasts will accentuate a touch more body and rounded sweetness. Longer rest times are recommended (72+ hours) for optimal brewing performance.
Catalyst Trade - “Tsebel and its sister concept, Dur Feres, are the foundation of our responsible sourcing program. Our goal is always to source the entire production of every site where we work, in order to give our producer partners long-term security and the peace of mind to focus on production. These coffees are traceable and carefully curated to maintain a consistent flavor profile which performs equally well as a Single Origin offering or a blend component. As well, since we source Tsebel and Dur Feres from multiple growing regions in Ethiopia, we are able to have a rotating fresh supply of coffee landing on our partner’s doorsteps through the year.
This particular lot of Tsebel is sourced from our long-time partner Aklilu Kassa, whose family, according to legend, built “the road into Guji”. Deeply rooted in the area, he and his family own or support a wide network of washing stations and farms, many of which are Organic Certified. Our Guji Tsebel is drawn from several of those sites; we created a custom Catalyst blend from these coffees to the flavor profile we sought, which is always that classic “Washed Ethiopia” moment of citrus and jasmine, with some bright fruit.”
