Single Origin Coffee Liqueur

Tasting Notes: Passionfruit, Peach, Papaya & Mandarin

Country: Ethiopia, Yirgacheffe
Altitude: 2100 MASL
Region: Kebele, Woreda
Process: Dry Fermentation
Variety: Kurume, 74110, 74112

Asrat, a dedicated member of the Jabanto Producer Group, has been consistently investing in improving coffee quality through meticulous agronomic and post-harvest handling practices. During the peak harvest season, which spans from November to early January, Asrat engages in selective picking, ensuring that only well-ripened red cherries are harvested. To further guarantee the quality of his coffee, he employs a sorting technique where the cherries are floated in water, allowing him to skim off any lighter, weathered, or insect-damaged cherries, leaving only the healthiest and most robust cherries for processing.

Once sorted, these ripe red cherries are dried for 18 to 21 days on raised beds, commonly referred to as African raised beds. The drying process is carefully monitored, with 11 kilograms of red cherries spread per square meter on bamboo mats. To ensure uniform drying, the cherries are manually turned six times each day. During the night, they are covered with nylon mesh and plastic to protect them. Starting on the 15th day of drying, Asrat begins monitoring the moisture content of the beans, removing the cherries from the beds once they reach a moisture level between 9.5% and 10.5%. This natural processing technique, coupled with the complex interplay of environmental factors such as soil, rainfall distribution, temperature, shade, and the genetic makeup of the coffee varieties, significantly influences the quality profile of the final coffee product.

The Jabanto Producer Group, established in 2018 with the support of G Broad PLC, began with 29 smallholder farmers from the Gedeo zone and has since grown to include 87 registered members. The group produces a variety of coffee types, including regional lots, village-level lots, single-farmer lots, variety lots, and processing lots. Collaboration between specialized coffee laboratories, such as Bi-Lab in Addis Ababa and Co-Lab in Sydney, plays a crucial role in refining coffee sourcing approaches, quality control mechanisms, and marketing opportunities for the farmers.

A key focus of the Jabanto group is the promotion of single-farmer lots, which represent the highest quality coffees produced by individual farmers. These lots are sold at higher prices compared to composite group lots, such as the Jabanto lot. This approach not only rewards farmers like Asrat for their dedication to quality but also fosters healthy competition among the members, encouraging them to continually improve the quality of their coffee year after year.

Asrat's farm, located in the Gerse village of Yirgacheffe county, spans 4 hectares and sits at an altitude of over 2100 meters above sea level, one of the highest altitudes at which coffee is commercially viable. When Asrat inherited the farm from his grandparents, it was predominantly planted with Gedeo local landrace coffee varieties. Over time, he has selectively replaced most of these with improved varieties such as Kurume, 74110, and 74112, which now dominate his farm. These efforts, combined with his careful processing techniques, result in a high-quality coffee that reflects both the tradition and innovation of the region.

Size - 500ml
ABV - 22%
Approx Std drinks - 8.7
Colour - Dark Brown
Dimensions - 25cm x 7.5cm x 7.5cm
Weight - 1.1kg