If you enjoy coffees with a light, tea-like character, you’ve come to the best possible place. This Ethiopian coffee from Friedhats Coffee offers a very refreshing and clean profile without any unnecessary heaviness. The flavor base consists of a sweet peach essence, lending the drink a natural and effortless sweetness. Juicy lychee seamlessly blends into this fruity profile, adding a subtle acidity. The real surprise, however, comes at the end of the tasting in the form of a typical green tea flavor. Thanks to this, the coffee leaves a long and clean sensation on the tongue. This is exactly what a precisely executed experiment tastes like.
The green beans come from the renowned Ethiopian region of Gedeb. Production was handled by EDN, which manages the popular Banko Chelchele washing station, located in the area of the same name. Local smallholder farmers cultivate their plots at impressive altitudes ranging from 1,900 to 2,300 meters above sea level. For this batch, the farmers selected the tried-and-true Ethiopian varieties 74110 and 74112. These plants were locally bred as early as the 1970s and continue to offer fantastic flavor potential and great resilience. Furthermore, the high altitude slows the ripening of the cherries, giving them ample time to develop the necessary natural sugars.
The processing of this lot is a fascinating example of modern innovation. Immediately after harvest, workers placed the whole ripe cherries into airtight tanks with no access to oxygen. They also added fresh lemongrass to these fermentation tanks and let the process run for 5 to 10 days. Recent studies suggest that the presence of lemongrass helps naturally lower the pH and very effectively prevents the growth of unwanted bacteria or mold. The coffee thus fermented in a very safe and stable environment. After the anaerobic phase was complete, the cherries were moved to elevated African drying beds, where they underwent careful drying. It was precisely this step that gave the beverage its distinctive tea-like character and crystalline clarity.
- Producer: EDN
- Processing station: Banko Chelchele
- Elevation: 1,900–2,300 m above sea level