We put Will on the spot: what’s your top pick right now?
No pause, no doubt — Banko Gotiti.
'We have a pretty stellar lineup of coffees right now so picking a fav was difficult, but I'm gonna go with our new washed Ethiopian, Banko Gotiti. It's super clean and fruity, and surprisingly sweet for a washed coffee, which makes for a perfect batch brew to drink when I get to the roastery in the morning.'
Will
Dispatch Wizard
Apricot, Lemon, Orange Blossom
Producer: Small Holder Farmers
Origin: Gotiti, Ethiopia
Varietal: Heirloom
Elevation: 2000 masl
This is a grade 1 washed coffee from Banko Gotiti wetmill in Kochere district, in the Yirgacheffe coffee region. The mill, managed by Alemu Bukato, processes cherries from around 650 local farmers.
We have been buying from Banko Gotiti every season for many years now and it is consistently one of our top cupping Ethiopian coffees, testament to the excellence of its processing regimen and the hard work of the farming community supplying the mill.
The Region
Gotiti kebele (village) is in Kochere district, near Yirgacheffe in the ‘Southern Nations, Nationalities & Peoples’ (SNNP) region of Ethiopia. Over a number of years the region has developed a distinguished reputation for fine coffees, producing some of the most sought-after microlots in the world. The combination of high altitude (up to 2,200m in some areas), fertile soil, consistent and plentiful rains, and an abundance of local knowledge are all contributing factors to the high status of Yirgacheffe coffees. The indigenous ‘heirloom’ varietals - which grow wild in Ethiopia - are responsible for the unique flavour notes which make for an unusual but beautifully refined cup, characterised by strong citric acidity, sweet chocolate and floral/herbal notes of lavender, jasmine, bergamot and thyme.
The Process
Ripe cherries are delivered to the wet mill for careful sorting and pulping, before fermentation for 36-48 hours, depending on the climactic conditions. After this point the parchment coffee is thoroughly washed and graded by bean density before being dried in the sun on raised African beds for 12 - 15 days (until the ideal moisture level has been reached). In the daytime the parchment needs to be raked and turned periodically to ensure a consistent drying process. The coffee is also covered between 12pm and 3pm to protect it from the hot sun, and at night time to protect it from rainfall and moisture. Once the coffee has dried to the right level it is transported to Addis Ababa for dry- milling, grading, intensive sorting and handpicking, before being bagged in GrainPro for export.
