ETHIOPIA GUJI GIGESA NATURAL PROCESS
Tastes of:
LAVENDER • HIBISCUS• MILK CHOCOLATE
Heavy body, Natural Process, Gigesa station, Danbi Uddo Kebele, Shakiso, Guji Zone, Oromia, heirloom varieties, 1800-1950m.
Gigesa is a small town in the Danbi Uddo Kebele, near the town of Shakiso in the Guji Zone of Ethiopia. The Gigesa washing station shares the name of the town and collects cherries from 850 coffee growers in the area, each holding approximately 2-5 hectares of farm land, all over 1800 meters above sea level.
Freshly picked cherries are delivered to the Gigesa washing station and immediately put into a “floatation tank” to separate lower quality cherries. The coffee is then left under shade for 3-5 hours to let the surface water dry off before ultimately being spread out on raised drying beds. The cherries are meticulously observed and agitated to ensure even drying and avoiding over-fermentation. The natural drying process at the Gigesa washing station typically lasts 15 to 18 days.
The Gigesa washing station is owned and operated by the Yonis family. As part of the quality control process, fresh cherries are floated in water to separate lower qualities before depulping. Traditional disc pulpers are used and the coffee is allowed at least 24 hours to ferment before being fully washed and set to dry on raised beds for 10-12 days on average.
