Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Banko Taratu Natural
Berry bomb alert! This Natural Yirgacheffe from the Banko Taratu washing station is jammy, juicy and chock full of blueberry and blackberry. It's complex and funky with an undercurrent of dark chocolate and a surprisingly clean hibiscus finish.
Berry bomb alert! What a harvest season Yirgacheffe has had this year. Here we have one of the coveted "berry bombs" that lovers of natural Ethiopian coffee search high and low for. And yes, that includes me. Take a sip and you'll know why! This coffee is bursting with jammy, juicy blueberry and blackberry. There's also a bit of funky depth with warm dark chocolate and just a hint of hibiscus to round out the wild ride. We also noted mild acidity for those that prefer a bit of a muted front end, but you can pull more out with very light roasts if that's what you like. Finally, this cup is fairly clean for a natural. There's much less "earthiness" than we usually detect and finish is lingering with pleasant floral notes.
Reminder! This coffee is raw, you must roast it before brewing
Arrival Date: February 11th, 2022
Acidity & Brightness: Mild acidity with jammy sweetness
Balance & Finish: Complex and funky with a lingering floral finish
Body & Texture: Full bodied, silky
Flavors: Blueberry, blackberry, dark chocolate & hibiscus
Grade: Grade 1 grown at 1900-2300 masl
Processing: Natural (dry) processed, sun dried on raised beds
Grower: Producers organized around Banko Taratu processing site
Region: Gedeo (Yirgacheffe) Zone
Varieties: Regional landraces and heirloom cultivars
Recommended Roast Range: City to Full City (Light to medium)
Start at City (light) or just in to a rolling first crack and go a bit darker as desired. We find it best not to go any darker than Full City (Medium, after the end of first crack) and most folks will prefer a City + or at the tail end of first crack. Lighter roasts will have abundant berry sweetness and a touch of acidity while medium roasts will accentuate chocolate and earthy tones.
Royal Coffee - "The Banko Taratu processing site receives cherries from farms up to 2300 meters in elevation, some of the highest in Ethiopia, and indeed the world. The site relies on a team of brothers, Seleshi and Degafe Beyene, to manage the cherry collection from all contributing growers, as well as 190 staff members who manage the day-to-day natural processing during harvest. Incoming cherry to the site is inspected upon arrival for uniform ripeness and defect, and then immediately laid out to dry on the site’s raised beds, a process that typically takes 3-4 weeks. Despite being a young company, EDN has already begun investigating novel processing equipment and techniques. The company is experimenting with an electronic color sorter for precise cherry selection, something that has existed as a prototype for a number of years but has yet to really penetrate into the producer industry. In addition, the company is working with honey processing and anaerobic fermentation techniques across their processing sites, continuously chasing a portfolio of coffee profiles they believe will best serve their farmers and help the industry achieve new ideals."
