ETHIOPIA Bombe Dry Fermentation, Washed, 250g

Origin: Ethiopia
Farm/Producer: Bombe Dry Fermentation
Region: Bensa District, Sidama
Altitude: 2000-2400m
Variety: Heirloom
Processing: Washed
Crop: 2021
Cupping notes: grapefruit, peach, sweet, floral

This coffee is named after the Bombe Mountains, as its valley is where most of the growers cultivate this lot. The processing method was developed in collaboration with David Bueller of Greenway Coffee and follows the innovative dry fermentation protocols used by La Esperanza Antigua, Josue Morales of Los Volcanes Coffee. It consists of a variation on the traditional washed process, where the fruit removed from the beans before drying, with no water added to the tank during fermentation, resulting in a “dry” fermentation.

The dry fermentation involves letting the coffees rest in climate controlled fermentation tanks post de-mucilaging. The coffee rests warm and dry while fermentation kickstarts faster than normal in the warm air environment, activating esters during fermentation, resulting in a hearty, complex, and apparent red fruit flavor while still being washed of its pulp.

Starting with the 2017/2018 harvest, producers in the Shantawene, Bombe and Keramo communities delivered the best cherries from the Bombe field. The layout and good management of the Bombe washing station allows special processing techniques, such as shaded fermentation tanks, washing channels and raised beds for drying, shaded with mesh. It is led by an extraordinary team that includes Atkilt Dejene, a female agronomist who worked on the award-winning Gesha Village project, but also the processing specialist, Eyasu Bekele.

In the cup we discover a fruity coffee, with sweet notes of peach and grapefruit, all complemented by a beautiful floral aftertaste.