Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Gedeb Halo Hartume Washed

This coffee is a standout in a sea of amazing Yirgacheffe coffees. The Halo Hartume washing station is an independent, family owned operation that raises the bar in one of the most competitive coffee markets in the world. It's surprisingly big and bold for a washed coffee with notes of bergamot, lavender, caramel and grapefruit.

Arrival Date: October 1st, 2021

Acidity & Brightness: Sparkling acidity and juicy sweetness

Balance & Finish: Excellent balance with a lingering floral finish

Body & Texture: Full bodied, smooth and silky

Flavors: Bergamot, lavender, caramel and grapefruit

Grade: Grade 1 grown at 2000-2200 masl

Processing: Fully Washed, sun dried on raised beds

Grower: 396 producers organized around the Halo Hartume washing station

Region: Gedeb District, Gedeo (Yirgacheffe) Zone

Varietals: Kurume, a local heirloom cultivar, and regional Ethiopian cultivars 74110 & 74112

Roasting: 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 more sparkling citrus acidity while medium roasts will accentuate more sweetness and fruit.

Reminder! This coffee is raw and must be roasted before brewing

Our Review: "Halo Hartume is a community near the border between Gedeb and Kochere, two very coffee-famous districts in Ethiopia’s coveted Gedeo Zone. Gedeo, named after the Gedeo people indigenous to the area, is a narrow section of highland plateau dense with savvy farmers and fiercely competitive processors whose coffee is known the world over as “Yirgacheffe”, after the zone’s most famous district and central town. As a terroir, Yirgacheffe has for decades been considered a benchmark for beauty and complexity in arabica coffee, known for being beguilingly ornate and jasmine-like when fully washed, and seductively punchy and sweet when sundried--and hardly requires an introduction. This particular coffee from a family-run independent washing station in Halo Hartume, is no exception. It’s big and sweet, with layers of grapefruit and lavender-like florality. The Halo Hartume station was started by Mijane Woresa in 2013. For its first few years the station sold coffee the way most producers in the area did: through the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (ECX), where government cuppers would grade and position the coffee for sale to exporters. In 2017 Mr. Woresa secured an export license for himself, and, after 30 years of work in coffee, brought his son Daniel aboard, who then started a relationship with Royal. Today, Daniel Mijane runs the majority of day-to-day operations at the family’s two private stations (the other is in Worka Sakaro, in the southeastern corner of Gedeb), as well as the exporting itself." - Royal Coffee

Small independant family producers in Yirgacheffe have it tough. There's tons of competition and expectations for coffee from this origin are insanely high. So when we see a small producer working hard to make it in that environment, you know we're going to support our fellow small business folks! As you can imagine, for an independent producer to stand out in a sea of amazing coffee producers, they've got to hold themselves to a higher standard. This grade 1 coffee is the embodiment of that standard. While many fully washed coffees from Ethiopia tend to be a bit too subtle for me, this one was surprisingly bold and flavorful! The front end is gently bright and there's a short, refreshing finish. It's got a big body and great balance with notes of bergamot, lavender, caramel and grapefruit.