Juicy apricot, peach, florals and candy sweetness

 

Origin: Ethiopia

Region: Uraga, Guji

Producer: Small-holder farmers

Altitude: 2200-2300 MASL

Varietal: Kurume Local Landraces

Process: Fully Washed

 

Farmers in Tobitu village, Uraga, in the Guji subregion, have ideal microclimate conditions for producing stunning, dense cherries. The lofty altitudes of 2,200 to 2,300 MASL create warm days and cool nights that produce unparalleled coffee when combined with excellent rainfall, fertile soil, and quality-oriented processing. 

Bitoya coffee is sourced from around 800 family-owned farms surrounding the Oboleyan washing stations in the Guji Zone of the Oromia Region. Focusing on producing excellent quality, it is one of the pioneer washing stations for the Edema family, a generation of harvesting where Anteneh followed his father’s footsteps with his brothers to establish the Oboleyan (which means brothers in the Oromia language).

The dedicated farmers ensure that only the ripest cherries are carefully delivered to the washing station, where they undergo a stringent sorting and pulping process. Ripened coffee cherries undergo meticulous sorting practices. Following this initial stage, the beans are subjected to a precise 36 to 48- hour fermentation process before being thoroughly washed. Subsequently, the wet beans are spread out on raised drying beds, where they are diligently turned every 2 to 3 hours in thin layers during the initial days of drying. At the washing stage, the post-harvest process undergoes a series of steps, including defect removal, grading, and sun-drying on elevated African beds.

The coffee beans are carefully shaded during peak sun hours and regularly rotated to ensure uniform drying. Depending on prevailing weather conditions, the beans are left to dry for 10 to 12 days until the moisture content reaches the optimal level of 11.5%. Finally, the beans are transported to Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia, where they are milled, bagged, and prepared for export.