In this coffee, we perceive the miracle of nature combined with human effort to let it shine and enhance it.

This coffee probably comes closest to the authentic taste of Arabica. But what does "authentic" really mean for a crop present in over 50 countries and available in hundreds of varieties and cultivars?

To begin with, the species *Coffea arabica* is native to Ethiopia. The two varieties in this lot are 74110 and 74112. These are varieties distributed by the Jimma Agricultural Research Center (JARC); they are stabilized lines from seeds collected in the wild. This work began in the early 1960s with the aim of finding varieties resistant to coffee leaf rust (*Hemileia vastatrix*), leading, by the 1970s, to the recommendation of specific varieties to farmers depending on their region. A remarkable effort.

The processing was carried out in a way that enhances the intrinsic quality of the beans. Very little fermentation — whether of the whole fruit or otherwise — took place between the reception of the cherries and the spreading of the parchment coffee (still protected by its thin skin) for drying. At each stage, rigorous sorting was carried out to ensure that only the highest quality beans reached the end of the process.

The ripe cherries were de-pulped using a Penagos Eco-pulper machine. The coffee was then immersed in water for 12 hours before being transferred to drying tables. Careful and expert drying, pushed to a relatively low moisture content, is a practice reserved for the best producers, who are concerned about quality. The longer the coffee dries, the more weight the producer loses at sale. However, this results in a higher quality coffee, more aromatic and more stable over time. A crucial point for us, the roasters.

So, what about authenticity?
The aromatic profile is pure and elegant: floral, slightly fruity, fragrant, and delicate. It has a beautiful, balanced acidity, reminiscent of most ripe fruits. Harmonious.

This is exactly the type of profile that comes to mind when talking about washed coffees from the Guji region.

I hope you enjoy it.

- Paul

Producer: Ture Waji

Company: Sookoo Coffee

Farmers: 30 farmers in and around Bookkisa

Location: Bookkisa (sub-kebele) Sawana (kebele), Shakiso (woreda), Guji (zone)

Species: Arabica

Cultivars: Gibirinna 74110 & Serto 74112

Process: Washed

Drying: Raised beds

Altitude: 2,000 - 2150m

Harvest type: Manual

Importer: Osito

Exporter: Sookoo Coffee

Green coffee moisture content at purchase: 9.9%

Local currency paid per kilogram of fresh cherries: 220-240 birr

FOB: $6.00 / lb

Information provided by Osito

We have worked with Ture Waji since the beginnings of Sookoo, and even before. David, who pilots most of our sourcing in Ethiopia, was already buying coffee from Ture several years before Sookoo was founded. At the time, Ture managed farms and oversaw production in Guji, in southern Ethiopia — a region he knows as well as anyone (and better than most). It’s no wonder he earned the nickname “King of Guji.”

This lot was produced from cherries sourced from about thirty small producers to create the much-loved Bookkisa coffee. Unlike in Latin America, where farmers may own vast farms with thousands of coffee trees, Ethiopian producers generally manage small plots, often harvesting coffee in their gardens alongside food crops. The average size of an Ethiopian farm is 2.5 hectares, which is larger than the Colombian average.

However, planting density in Ethiopia is much lower, with most production occurring in forest or semi-forest systems. This results in a lower number of trees per hectare and lower yield per tree (the national average is a surprisingly low 0.8 kg of cherries per tree per year). All cherries delivered are organically grown.

Filter Coffee
Ratio 1:17
15g ground coffee
255g water (between 92-99°c depending on brewing device)

The brewing device is not very important, we use the Orea porcelain for its fast flow and design.

The most important thing is to grind fresh coffee and use low-calcium water.