Ethiopia Guji Gogogu
Country: Ethiopia
Region: Uraga, Guji
Varietal: Bourbon
Process: Washed
Altitude: 2,300 MASL
Cupping Notes: Tart Cherry, Peach, Limeade
Recommended Roast:City to Full City
Good For:Pour Over, Auto Drip, Espresso
Description:Uraga, Guji is among our favorite coffee growing regions in Ethiopia. The region has fertile, sandy loam soil and is able to grow coffee at extremely high elevations. The coffees contributing to this lot were grown at 2,300 meters above sea level, where weather permits very slow cherry maturation. This results in vibrant acidity and very clean cups. In 2022, our export partner purchased this washing station in Gogogu and spent time there during harvest and post-harvest to set standards for processing from beginning to end and their efforts are obvious on the cupping table. Of our trip to Ethiopia in early 2023, the washed and natural from Gogogu were our highest scoring coffees from not only this exporter, but every supplier we visited. The processing details are traditional for Ethiopia, but when done right, and with coffee grown at such high elevation, the results can be really special.
Coffee is first floated to separate out unripe cherries, and then immediately pulped to remove skin of the fruit. Once pulped, coffee is put in fermentation tanks with spring water for roughly 60 hours during which the water is changed 3 times. After fermentation, coffee is washed through channels where “floaters” are separated again. After being washed clean, the coffee is soaked for 8-16 hours, our export/milling partner tells us that this step improves cup quality. Now the coffee is taken to drying beds where it will be moved regularly until it reaches ideal moisture content, roughly two weeks.
Like mentioned above, this coffee (and its natural sibling) is something special on the cupping table. This Washed lot from Gogogu is so fun in the cup. It honestly reminds us of what we dream that Washed Ethiopians taste like, but often fall just shy of. It’s so vibrant with fruity acidity and cups with clear notes of Tart Cherry, Peach, and Limeade. This is the type of coffee that sets a standard, it will be hard for future Washed Ethiopians to keep up with this one.