Ethiopia Gerba Hechere

Light roasts of this wet process coffee brew a clean, floral profile that's syrupy sweet, accented by hints of fruit and tea that bring a mouth refreshing quality to the acidic impression. The ground coffee releases refined sweetness in the fragrance, like simple syrup made with sugar in the raw, with a very light floral note, and a hint of lemon peel. The wet aroma brings the floral aspects closer to the surface, perfumed jasmine, orange blossoms, sweet and delicate, along with lively citrus hints. Light City roasts of Hechere make fantastic pour-over brews, where fragrant floral notes and delicate tea-like flavors come together with high toned accents, and sweetness that carries the cup. There's a light honey flavor in the brew that hooks you right up front, and shifts to something more like burnt sugars in the aftertaste. Aromatic top notes are present from start to finish too, initially centered around floral hints of jasmine and rose, then shifting to citrusy lemon verbena, and finally something like botanical tea bitters in the aftertaste. I picked up on fruited suggestions of pear and white peach as the coffee cooled, along with a bubblegum note. Hechere shines at City roast level, which on my Roest was around 6:30 1st Crack, followed by 1:25 development time (totaling 12.5% moisture loss). Just for fun, I roasted one batch to Full City+ too, and was surprised at the flavors it produced as espresso! It's not the thickest bodied shot, but still feels supportive to a unique profile of jasmine laced chocolates, cooked berries, and moderately bright citrus. This isn't an espresso for milk drinks, but one to be enjoyed on its own.