Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Wush Wush 96 Hour Anaerobic Natural
Captain's Gold top 3! This microlot from renowned coffee expert Israel Degafa comes from producers in Yirgacheffe. At his washing station, Israel uses a proprietary anaerobic fermentation protocol he's dubbed "alcoholic" due to the crisp, winey cups it produces. It's also juicy and sweet with big notes of strawberry, blackberry, banana, lemonade and pure cane sugar.
Quick refresher: Wush wush (or Wushwush) is a village in the Keffa region of Ethiopia and also an heirloom variety of coffee (named for that village, of course). With wush wush gaining popularity in the specialty coffee world, farmers in other regions of Ethiopia have begun cultivating it, so not every wush wush comes from Keffa. Kind of a “every square is a rectangle but not every rectangle is a square” situation. And the bean is popular for a reason – it’s bright, sweet and super juicy!
If this all sounds familiar, it’s because we just can’t get enough of Wush Wush lately! This particular lot comes to us from producers in Yirgacheffe processed by renowned coffee veteran Israel Degafa. Israel and his team upped the ante with this microlot with a proprietary anaerobic fermentation he calls “alcoholic”. You can already guess this one’s gonna be winey! So after a grade 1 sorting of the best cherries, he places them in airtight bags in a cool environment to ferment for 4 days (96 hours). During this fermentation period, the coffee cherries are checked frequently to ensure fermentation is progressing according to Israel’s strict protocols. Finally, the cherries are finished drying on raised beds in the sun in the natural or dry processing tradition.
The result is a fruit bomb with lovely, crisp acidity and a dry, winey finish. It’s got a silky, smooth body, good balance and makes for a surprisingly clean cup despite the intense fermentation. My samples had a strawberry and banana smoothie vibe along with notes of juicy blackberry, lemonade and sugar cane. The finish reminds me of an expensive white wine - dry yet smooth, crisp but not tangy. Compared to our 120 hour Wush Wush from Guji, this one is a little less funky and wild, more refined but just as juicy!
Reminder! This coffee is raw, you must roast it before brewing
Arrival Date: October 9th, 2024. Harvest year: 2024
Acidity & Brightness: Crisp, citrusy and intensely sweet
Balance & Finish: Fairly balanced with a dry, clean finish
Body & Texture: Full bodied and silky
Flavors: Strawberry, banana, blackberry, lemonade and sugar cane
Grade: Grade 1, grown at 2000 - 2300 masl
Processing: Natural (dry) processed after 96 hours of anaerobic fermentation. Sun dried on raised beds.
Grower: Smallholder farmers in Yirgacheffe| Israel Degafa’s washing station
Region: Sama Village, Anasora, Oromia (washing station)
Varietals: Wush Wush
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 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 acidity while medium roasts will accentuate more body and rounded sweetness. Longer rest times are recommended (up to a week or longer) for optimal brewing performance.
