Ethiopia - Aricha Natural

Producer: Boledu Coffee Zone: Gedeo District: Yirgacheffe Village: Aricha Harvest: October 2022 - January 2023 Process: Dry/Natural Altitude: 1,950-2,150 Meters Relationship through: Algrano Cup profile: This coffee takes us on a trip down memory lane… to those natural Ethiopian coffees that first got us into specialty coffee 8~10 years ago. To be honest, we are quite surprised to find a 2023 harvest naturally processed Ethiopian coffee sweeping our palates by storm… and yet, that is where we find ourselves. I would say that my personal preference for naturals has taken a significant downgrade over the past few years. I have found that the explosion of experimental processing in the industry has muddied the waters in terms of what you can expect to find in dry processed coffees especially. In the majority of the cases in our day and time, they seem to come with noticable ferment. I’ve actually gravitated so much towards desirably clean and balanced washed coffees that it’s now pretty infrequent that I recreationally drink naturals. But enter, the people. People like naturals. Actually, we did an early release of this coffee to our wholesale people, and the majority of them quite literally lost it. The coffee just flew off our shelves, we had to request a backup shipment of it. Okay okay…. I have been neglecting you all by only sourcing with pristine washed coffees in mind, I can admit that, and having come face to face with the beauty of Aricha natural, I offer my sincerest apologies and pledge from here on out to carry you natural lovers on our backs by having this coffee around as much as I possibly can. In fact, we already have the 2024 crop contracted which will land the second half of the year. Okay so the cup profile…. Wow. This coffee is a whirlwind of fruit…sugar…cocoa. Centering on blueberries, we’ve felt everything from dried blueberries to blueberry pastry. Actually, it quite reminds me of those unfrosted blueberry Pop Tarts that my Mom used to get when I was an itty, bitty lad. The sugar aspect time and again is a very specific and sure cotton candy. That comes out even in espresso + milk drinks. It’s rounded out by a lovely cocoa powder aspect. I deemed this coffee to read 0 out of 10 on the funk meter; nay, I’d argue that even the swiftest of cuppers would have a hard time pinpointing even a bit of ferment here. Anyways, I’ve been saying that this coffee has been bringing me back to 2015, because these kinds of Ethiopian coffees were way more common then, and it has been a treat altogether to now get the chance to experience it again and see everyone’s lovely reception of this coffee. Enjoy until this batch runs out.