Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Lippia Abyssinica Natural

Notes: Blueberry, black cherry, lavender, thyme, syrupy

Processing at Banko Gotiti 

Normally, naturals at the Banko Gotiti station are hand-sorted upon delivery and moved directly to raised screen beds to sundry. In the case of this special microlot, fresh cherry is sealed into carbon fiber drums with fresh cuttings of lippia abyssinica and left to ferment anaerobically (deprived of fresh oxygen) for 10 full days between 15-18 degrees Celsius. This stage allows the sugars in the fruit to develop far beyond where they would in a traditional natural without the risk of over fermenting. The addition of the local herb infuses the cherry must that surrounds the fruit and creates new aromatic esters in the fermentation that wouldn’t otherwise form. 

After the 10-day drum fermentation, the soft and syrupy cherry mixture is carefully moved to raised screen beds to dry, slowly and gradually, for 28 days. Once it reaches a fully dried state, the pods are moved to a cool warehouse where they are left to rest for a number of weeks. This last step allows the internal moisture to equilibrate and the water activity to settle, preparing the green coffee for a long shelf life of vibrant flavors.