Ethiopia Garse

Description

Terroir: Yirgacheffe The Yirgacheffe appellation covers a small area. It is characterised by low production volumes but high perceived quality. Yirgacheffe is a town with several tens of thousands of inhabitants. The production areas include Yirgacheffe, Kochéré, Wenago and Gelena Abaya. This coffee, with its typical Yirgacheffe profile, is grown at an altitude of over 2,000 m in the Gedeo district. It is processed at a station in the village of Garse, operated by the family-run company DWD, which was founded over 30 years ago. Farm: Garse The Garse processing station is situated at an altitude of 2,060 metres. It was built in 2011 by DWD for the purpose of processing high-quality coffee. Coffee cherries are brought here by farmers from the surrounding villages of Garse, Dobe Toga and Wachile. DWD works with a total of 110 smallholder farmers. They have mastered coffee cultivation to a high standard – agricultural practices in this region have been passed down from generation to generation. Farmer: Cooperative This coffee is the result of the work of 110 farmers, whom DWD helps every year to improve the quality of their produce. DWD Ato Dukale was born near Bensa in the Sidama region, where his parents already owned a coffee farm. His interest soon turned to coffee, and he travelled extensively throughout his native region to buy his first sacks of coffee from local growers. In the late 1980s, he built his first processing station in Daye Bensa, which he named ‘Awraja and his family’. Awraja was the name of the district where he grew up, and also the nickname he earned as a well-known volleyball player representing his region, Bensa Awraja. His business has been thriving ever since. Today, Dukale Wakayo Dakola (DWD) has 16 collection centres in the Sidama and Yirgacheffe regions. The business has been taken over by his sons, Assafa, Shahsamo and Yamrot, who, together with their father, devote all their energy to producing high-quality coffee. Variety: heirloom The term ‘heirloom’ in Ethiopia refers to indigenous, often unclassified and highly diverse Arabica varieties – estimated to number between 6,000 and 15,000 in total. These traditional cultivars, which are neither formally catalogued nor standardised, are prized for their biodiversity and their ability to produce complex, floral and fruity flavours unique to their terroir. Processing: natural After harvesting, the cherries are dried in the shade for three weeks on raised beds and are turned regularly to ensure even drying.