Ethiopia Awash River Natural

Apricot, peach, tropical, mild spice
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Bag Weight 60 KG BAG
Harvest Season 2023/24
Status Spot
Lot Number P8002499-2
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About This Coffee

Awash River is a curated coffee sourced from smallholder farmers serviced by the river Awash in the Sidamo region of southern Ethiopia. These farmers rely on the great river and its many tributaries to cultivate coffee and sustain their communities.

The Awash carves through almost 750 miles of Ethiopia’s great rift valley, providing a vital water source for millions. Archaeologists believe humans have lived along the river since the dawn of man. Known as “the cradle of humankind”, the middle Awash is home to some of the most important archaeological discoveries in history, including perhaps the most famous hominid fossil ever found: “Lucy”.

In a poetic twist, Ethiopia is also the birthplace of the arabica coffee tree. As farmers started to harvest the wild forest coffee of Southern Ethiopia they in turn began to cultivate them on their own land. Nevertheless, wild coffee can still be found throughout Ethiopia and is represented by thousands of distinct varieties, many of which are still cultivated by farmers in Sidamo to this day.

Origin Ethiopia
Subregion Guji zone
Harvest Season 2023/24
Producer Type Small Holder Farmers
Processing Natural/Dry Processed
Plant Species Arabica
Variety Ethiopia Heirloom
Coffee Grade ETH CA NAT SID G3
Screen Size 14 Up
Bag Weight 60 KG BAG
Bag Types Grain Pro / Ecotact

The Region

The Sidamo and Yirgacheffe regions have developed a reputation for some of the most sought-after coffees in the world. With the river as a rich source of clean water; the combination of high altitude, fertile soils and abundant sunshine provides ideal conditions for arabica coffee cultivation. Heirloom arabica varietals, which still grow wild in Ethiopia, contribute to a beautifully unique cup profile typified by notes of tropical and stone fruit and light florals.

The Process

This coffee is naturally processed, whereby ripe coffee cherries are dried in the sun on patios and raised African beds for around 12-15 days, according to the ambient conditions. This sun-drying process allows for many of the sugars in the cherry pulp to transfer into the bean, presenting in the cup as complex tropical fruit flavours. The raised beds provide airflow to facilitate a consistent drying process, though the cherries are also turned periodically to prevent mould and covered at night to protect from rain and moisture. Once the ideal moisture content is reached the dried cherries are rested in a cool environment before being hulled, graded and handpicked prior to export. 

  • Subregion Guji zone
  • Producer Type Small Holder Farmers
  • Processing Natural/Dry Processed
  • Bag Types Grain Pro / Ecotact
  • Plant Species Arabica
  • Variety Ethiopia Heirloom
  • Screen Size 14 Up
  • On Sale No
  • Top Lot No
  • Price Per Kg €8.70
  • Status Spot
  • Coffee Grade ETH CA NAT SID G3
  • CTRM Contract Number P8002499-2
  • Origin Ethiopia
  • Warehouse Vollers Hamburg