This Ethiopian coffee is exactly the kind of coffee where, after the first sip, you wonder if you accidentally poured yourself something completely different from coffee. That’s because the flavor is distinctly marked by sweet, slightly fermented, and refreshing pineapple. Added to that are zesty lemon and the fruity taste of raspberry iced tea. It’s juicy, bold, and fermented, yet it still retains the characteristic lightness we’d expect from an Ethiopian coffee.
And pineapple is much more than just a flavor association here. The coffee cherries are actually processed together with pineapple. This is an anaerobic natural processing method, in which fermentation takes place without exposure to air. Pineapple, which contains the enzyme bromelain, is added to the process. Bromelain helps break down proteins and accelerates the process by which the pulp is released from the coffee cherry. Among other things, the result is a distinct fruity character that’s hard to miss in the cup.
Fermentation is being used more and more frequently in the coffee world and allows producers to influence the final flavor much more significantly than with traditional processing. With this coffee from the Banko Chelchele region in Ethiopia, fermentation takes center stage. Coffee cherries from producers associated with the Banko Chelchele station grow at an elevation of 1,900–2,300 meters above sea level and are subsequently processed as natural coffee with the addition of pineapple.
Expect a coffee that dives right into juicy tropical fruit, citrus, and lightly fermented notes. The pineapple gradually blends with lemony freshness and raspberry tea. If you enjoy coffees whose flavors stray a bit from the classic profile, you definitely have something to discover here.