About This Coffee
At Dumerso washing station, owner Hirut Berhanu carefully oversees processing to ensure every lot meets optimal quality. Hirut has over 20 years of experience in coffee production. Together with her sister, Mahder Berhanu, she acquired the Dumerso washing station in 2010. The station was built in 1998 but had been out of operation for several years. Hirut and Mahder reopened Dumerso in 2013 and have been producing value-added coffees ever since.
This Natural lot is contributed by over 230 smallholder farmers, mainly from Dumerso and the vicinity of St. George’s Church. It brings all the things we love about Yirgacheffe coffee to the cup. Expect an array of berry and floral notes.
Cultivation
Smallholder farmers in the region cultivate coffee at elevations of 1,900 - 2,200 meters above sea level. The cool mountainous climate and red clay soils provide ideal conditions for coffee growing, resulting in high-quality cups. Farmers typically cultivate coffee on small plots of less than 1 hectare, with most of the work done by hand.
In Yirgacheffe, coffee accounts for over 90% of local families’ income, making it especially important that farmers receive fair prices and their coffee is carefully processed to add value.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
Smallholder farmers selectively handpick ripe cherries and deliver them to Dumerso washing station. At intake, the cherries are carefully inspected to ensure quality, with any over- or under-ripe fruit removed. Selected cherries are then spread in thin layers to dry on raised beds.
During drying, workers rake the cherries frequently to ensure even drying. They also cover the cherries during the hottest part of the day to control the drying rate and at night to prevent condensation. Depending on the weather, it takes approximately 14-17 days for the cherries to dry.
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.