Description
This is the second coffee we’ve purchased from a new relationship with the Ethiopia-focused importing company, Catalyst Trade, and our final Ethiopian offering from the 2021 harvest. We’ve chosen to focus on single farmer lots from the Sidama region, where Catalyst has its strongest roots. In 2014, Catalyst began working with Asnake Bekele, who is nearly single-handedly responsible for establishing natural processing in the Sidama region.
Catalyst shares:
Many years ago, when Asnake worked as the manager of the prominent Sidama Coffee Farmer’s Cooperative Union, he presented the idea to the producers to add raised-bed natural processing to their washed processed coffee. At the time, he was laughed at! But luckily for us all, he persevered, and of course now we all know the glory of natural-processed Sidama coffee. While Asnake’s career in Ethiopian coffee has spanned many high points, we’ve had the privilege of partnering with him on a number of projects which included groundbreaking processing work in Kochere and Gelana Abaya (together we introduced honey processing) as well as on a researched article which directly resulted in over $8 million USD being invested by the Ethiopian government into the Gedeo Zone to repair dozens of washing stations damaged in the 2017 riots. He also helped us organize several producer groups in various parts of Ethiopia as well as served as an incredibly wise Ethiopian coffee expert and resource to us.
When Asnake began his latest endeavor – partnering with Sidama single producers such as Basha Gansamo (and our previous offering from Basha Bekele!) – Catalyst was immediately on board to help collaborate to build the program with him. Basha Gonsamo is part of the producing group Asnake and his partner Aklilu Admassu has vertically integrated with. He’s focused on quality protocols and advancing the future of traceable, single producer Ethiopian coffee. Basha’s farm is 3.5 hectares in total, and he employs around 86 seasonal workers to assist with selective harvesting and drying.
We’re excited to present this incredibly clean and complex natural processed offering from Basha Gansamo to continue our new relationship and initial exploration into coffee from the Sidama region. As to be expected from the natural processing, this lot is bursting with fresh berries and tropical fruits. Clean, vibrant flavors make for a unique pairing with a deep cane sugar sweetness and soft, silky body. We’re tasting: raspberry, blueberry, mango, lavender, brown sugar, cane sugar, coconut, black tea, milk chocolate.
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