The first Ethiopian coffee from the American roaster Prodigal Coffee this year is here - and it's bringing great news! This micro-lot comes from the Gedeb region, a region known for its high quality and unique flavor profile. The coffee is of the Kurume variety, which shows all its wonderful, fruity notes in the cup. You'll enjoy sweet, jammy blackberry, juicy peach and a subtle hint of pineapple. Each sip is like a refreshing fruity experience that will amaze you with its depth and freshness.
The coffee comes from Prodigal's new partner, Tracon Trading, with whom Prodigal is currently expanding its collaboration in Ethiopia. Their processing plant receives the cherries on the day of harvest, ensuring that the coffee is as fresh as possible. After the cherries are picked, there is a rinsing step to remove excess impurities, and then the coffee travels to elevated African beds where it is dried naturally, with all the skin on the bean. This process takes between 8 and 25 days, during which time the coffee is turned regularly to ensure an even supply of air and even drying. This step is key to achieving the clean and full fruity flavour that this coffee offers. The natural processing (or dry method) is very traditional and requires careful supervision as the beans absorb all the sweet and fruity flavours from the fruit during drying. This processing method also helps to preserve the distinct acidity that is typical of Ethiopian coffee, while increasing body and complexity. The coffee is dried on raised beds, where it is rotated regularly to ensure even drying and prevent unwanted over-drying.
Kurume is a variety that is no newcomer - it has long been known for its floral freshness and fruity depth. And when you add natural processing to the mix, the result is a coffee that's juicy, sweet, and straight up caresses your soul.