Ethiopia Dry Process Dogo Sodu

This delicious dry process coffee was processed at a privately run coffee processing site called Dogo Sodu, not too far from the main Gerba town. The mill is owned by Gemechu Shonora, who along with brothers Shebura, Morkata and Adugna, oversee the operations of this site and several others nearby. Their father worked for the local union many years ago as a coffee collector, going out into the surrounding towns buying coffee cherries from farmers. He still lives in Gerba town, with longstanding connections to the community. This lot was collected from farmers in a growing area called Gerba Layo, with an altitude range of 2250 to 2350 meters above sea level. They employ several layers of quality control at their mill, starting with floating the cherries in water to remove any underripe coffee before processing (unripe coffee will float to the top, while the ripe coffee sinks). Dry process coffee goes straight to the drying tables, first for 3 days in full sun, then 15 days more under shade protection. During this time, workers remove any visible defects to create the Grade 1 quality, like this lot. Dry process coffees can taste incredibly unique. During the long drying period, fementation occurs inside the fruit, often leading to fruity notes in the cup. We found this lot to be quite a fruit salad of flavors, and also surprisingly floral and bright for dry process coffee. In fact, while I do think it could be used in a dark roast blend, the acidity will likely be a little too high toned for some. Best enjoyed on its own!