Kiwi, Orange, Syrupy

Producer: Small Holder Farmers
Origin: Guji, Ethiopia
Varietal: Heirloom
Elevation: 2000 masl

Muje Mesina washing station is located in East Guji, 17km from Adola town. The washing station works with a community of hundreds of smallholder farmers in the local area, who cultivate small plots of land around their homes at elevations above 1,980masl. 

The washing station is equipped with 200 shaded drying beds and a number of shaded fermentation tanks. Access to clean and safe drinking water is crucial for the well-being and health of any community. By building two underground water sources, the Muje Mesina washing station is addressing a fundamental need and making a significant impact on the lives of the community members.

The Region

Muje Mesina station is located in East Guji, 17km from Adola town. Over a number of years the region has developed a distinguised reputation for fine coffees, producing some of the most sought-after microlots in 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 local indigenous ‘heirloom’ varietals - which grow wild in Ethiopia - are responsible for the unique flavour notes which make for an unusual but refined cup. When processed naturally through sun drying these present with juicy and jammy stone-fruit flavours, floral and chocolate notes with a creamy body.

The Process

Shade grown, ripe cherries are selectively harvested based on Brix readings to ensure optimum ripeness and sugar content. After delivery to the station the cherries are subjected to extremely thorough and careful hand sorting, as well as floatation in clean water to separate less dense, lower quality cherries.

The selected cherries are then dried on raised African beds for 15-18 days. In the daytime they are raked and turned periodically to ensure a consistent drying process; covered between 12pm and 3pm to protect them from sun damage and at night time to protect it from rainfall and moisture. Moisutre and water activity is measured throughout and dictates when the drying process is complete. At this point the coffee is rested for around 1 month, then milled, graded, sorted and thoroughly handpicked, before being bagged in GrainPro for export from the port of Djibouti.