Aricha is a remote community in Ethiopia’s Yirgacheffe region that boasts one of the world's oldest coffee-growing traditions. With a staggering array of endemic, heirloom varieties, Yirgacheffe produces a coffee like no other, prized for its floral aromas and vibrant fruit notes.
This lot comes from the Aricha washing station. Hundreds of farmers from surrounding villages deliver their coffee cherries to this station to be processed. After a 48 to 72-hour fermentation, the coffee is washed and then dried on raised beds. This creates a clean cup profile that highlights the coffee’s floral and fruit notes.
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A few months ago, during one of our operations meetings, Nathan looked at Justin and said:
“You know what? We haven’t had a Yirgacheffe in forever. Find us one.”
And Justin deliverd.
Often translated as “Land of Many Springs," Yirgacheffe is one of the most famous coffee growing regions for a reason. The floral and tea-like delicacy of the coffees grown there have been enjoyed by coffee lovers for decades.
In fact, families have grown coffee in the Gedeo highlands of southern Ethiopia since at least the 1920s, usually on small home-garden plots of less than two hectares.
Justin’s search eventually led him to Aricha, a washing station with a comeback story of its own.
A few years ago, the washing station had fallen into disrepair and was essentially abandoned. Local farmers were left to travel far away just to process and sell their cherries they'd worked so hard to grow.
That was until a man named Faysel Abdosh saw the potential in the station, the history of the region, and the knowledge of the seasoned growers who live there. He decided to make a bet.
He purchased the Aricha washing station in 2018 and poured a year's worth of money and sweat into restoring it.
That bet paid off.
The station began receiving attention from specialty exporters, along with awards for the quality of its coffees. Today, Aricha is looked at as a gem of Yirgacheffe, known for consistently putting out delightfully floral and complex coffees.
Hundreds of local farmers from surrounding villages deliver their coffee cherries to this station to be processed. And with no longer needing to travel so far away to sell their cherries, those farmers can stay close to home.
In addition, Faysel sets aside part of Aricha washing station's profits to share with the farming community, giving growers an incentive to keep improving the quality of the coffee they bring in.
We're delighted to have a Yirgacheffe back on the shelves (particularly Nathan) and in the drip rotation at our cafes.
Country: Ethiopia
Region: Yirgacheffe
Producer: Aricha Community
Varietal: Ethiopian landraces
Process: Washed
Elevation: 1,950 Meters Above Sea Level (MASL)
Aricha is a remote community in Ethiopia’s Yirgacheffe region that boasts one of the world's oldest coffee-growing traditions. With a staggering array of endemic, heirloom varieties, Yirgacheffe produces a coffee like no other, prized for its floral aromas and vibrant fruit notes.
This lot comes from the Aricha washing station. Hundreds of farmers from surrounding villages deliver their coffee cherries to this station to be processed. After a 48 to 72-hour fermentation, the coffee is washed and then dried on raised beds. This creates a clean cup profile that highlights the coffee’s floral and fruit notes.
-
A few months ago, during one of our operations meetings, Nathan looked at Justin and said:
“You know what? We haven’t had a Yirgacheffe in forever. Find us one.”
And Justin deliverd.
Often translated as “Land of Many Springs," Yirgacheffe is one of the most famous coffee growing regions for a reason. The floral and tea-like delicacy of the coffees grown there have been enjoyed by coffee lovers for decades.
In fact, families have grown coffee in the Gedeo highlands of southern Ethiopia since at least the 1920s, usually on small home-garden plots of less than two hectares.
Justin’s search eventually led him to Aricha, a washing station with a comeback story of its own.
A few years ago, the washing station had fallen into disrepair and was essentially abandoned. Local farmers were left to travel far away just to process and sell their cherries they'd worked so hard to grow.
That was until a man named Faysel Abdosh saw the potential in the station, the history of the region, and the knowledge of the seasoned growers who live there. He decided to make a bet.
He purchased the Aricha washing station in 2018 and poured a year's worth of money and sweat into restoring it.
That bet paid off.
The station began receiving attention from specialty exporters, along with awards for the quality of its coffees. Today, Aricha is looked at as a gem of Yirgacheffe, known for consistently putting out delightfully floral and complex coffees.
Hundreds of local farmers from surrounding villages deliver their coffee cherries to this station to be processed. And with no longer needing to travel so far away to sell their cherries, those farmers can stay close to home.
In addition, Faysel sets aside part of Aricha washing station's profits to share with the farming community, giving growers an incentive to keep improving the quality of the coffee they bring in.
We're delighted to have a Yirgacheffe back on the shelves (particularly Nathan) and in the drip rotation at our cafes.
Country: Ethiopia
Region: Yirgacheffe
Producer: Aricha Community
Varietal: Ethiopian landraces
Process: Washed
Elevation: 1,950 Meters Above Sea Level (MASL)
