About This Coffee
Lacho Torka Washing Station is the result of an unique partnership between two people from very different backgrounds but with a shared passion for coffee. Inku Teklewold, a healthcare professional, and Hirut Berhanu, who has more than 20 years of experience in the coffee industry, joined forces to build Lacho Torka Washing Station together.
Together, they are focused on improving quality while supporting the smallholder farmers they work with. Currently, the station produces only Natural coffees, with plans to introduce Washed processing in 2027/2028, giving buyers more options to choose from.
Cultivated and processed with plenty of care, this Natural lot brings together the beloved characters of Guji coffee. In the cup, expect the fruit-forward profile and comforting sweetness.
Cultivation
Lacho Torka washing station sits at an elevation of over 2,200 meters above sea level in the Oromia highlands, where fertile soils and cool temperatures create ideal conditions for producing dense, sweet cherries.
Farming methods in the region remain largely traditional. Guji farmers typically intercrop their coffee plants with other food crops. This method is common among smallholders because it maximizes land use and provides food for their families.
In addition to remaining traditionally intercropped, most farms are also traditional and organic-by-default. Farmers in Guji typically use very few, if any, fertilizers or pesticides. Most farm work is done manually and very few tasks are mechanized, even during processing.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
Cherries are selectively handpicked and delivered to the Lacho Torka washing station, where they are hand-sorted at intake to ensure optimal quality. Selected cherries are then spread in thin layers on raised beds to dry, with workers regularly raking them to promote even drying.
Drying cherries are covered during the hottest parts of the day and overnight to protect them from heat and dew during the drying process. This drying stage typically takes 14 to 17 days, depending on the weather.
Dried cherries are then sent to the dry mill for hulling, where they will go through another round of hand-sorting and cleaning to remove any remaining defects or foreign material before being packed and prepared for export.
Ethiopia Grade 1
Grades in Ethiopia depend on visual inspection for defects and on cup quality. Grade 1 is considered the highest quality coffee. Grade 1 and 2 are considered specialty coffee, grades 3-9 are classified as commercial coffee. Grade 1 is free of cup faults and taints and has zero quakers.
Coffee in Ethiopia
While Ethiopia is famous as coffee’s birthplace, today it remains a specialty coffee industry darling for its incredible variety of flavors. While full traceability has been difficult in recent history, new regulations have made direct purchasing possible. We’re partnering directly with farmers to help them produce top quality specialty lots that are now completely traceable, adding value for farmers and roasters, alike.
The exceptional quality of Ethiopian coffee is due to a combination of factors. The genetic diversity of coffee varieties means that we find a diversity of flavor, even between (or within) farms with similar growing conditions and processing. In addition to varieties, processing methods also contribute to end quality. The final key ingredients for excellent coffee in Ethiopia are the producing traditions that have created the genetic diversity, processing infrastructure and great coffee we enjoy today.
Most producers in Ethiopia are smallholders, and the majority continue to cultivate coffee using traditional methods. As a result, most coffee is grown with no chemical fertilizer or pesticide use. Coffee is almost entirely cultivated, harvested and dried using manual systems.