Ethiopia Natural Guji

Cupping Notes: Berry, Chocolate

S.H.G  - Strictly High Grown

West of the capital Addis Ababa and near the border with Sudan and just south of the headwaters of the Blue Nile is a 'becoming more famous' coffee region of Ethiopia named Guji. Farmers here cultivate a coffee that is handpicked and laid out on elevated screens to allow a sun drying process with the sweet fruit pulp still surrounding the coffee seeds. This 'natural process' allows the seeds to absorb many of the flavor tones of the fruit, which in this case results in distinct berry and chocolate notes when slow roasted.

The Guji coffee arrives at our roastery in a sealed plastic bag inside a traditional burlap sack. We slowly roast this fragrant coffee, dumping the coffee at the beginning hint of the second crack.

photo: Laura and I were walking through Kiwastara one day visiting our school when we encountered one of our students with her Amazon parrot. These beautiful birds are indigenous to the Coco River, and each morning we watch them all fly together across the river and then they seem to fly back in the late afternoon. 
These birds fly in formation, talking to each other as they fly. You can see them turn their heads as they squawk to one another.