Morning Fuel | FILTER BLEND

Country: Ethiopia, Kenya & Brazil

Taste notes - Jasmine, apples, chocolate, butter cookies.

Origins

Ethiopia

Ethiopia is like the first flower buds of spring, evoking anticipation and joy while filling the air with bright aromatic notes. 

As the birthplace of coffee, this origin offers a wide spectrum of flavors and aromas, ranging from citric notes to sweet stone fruits and juicy tropical fruits, all combining with floral, spicy, and tea-like nuances in a single cup. Ethiopia is renowned for its regions, each boasting specific taste profiles. For example, Sidamo coffees exhibit a tea-like profile, while Guji combines ripe fruit sweetness with jasmine notes and a hint of funkiness. 

In this case, coffee comes from Yirgacheffe which is well-known for its complex cup profile, ranging from a serene tea-like experience to the presence of fresh fruits and berries in the cup, sometimes accompanied by a winy aftertaste. The complexity of this region's coffee can be attributed to its soil, altitude, and climate, which slow the ripening process of cherries, allowing for a more intricate taste profile to develop. Despite its current recognition, Yirgacheffe was once classified under the Gedeo zone as a woreda (district) and blended with other regions.

Kenya

Kenya, characterized by its volcanic red soil and elevated altitudes, is renowned for a coffee flavour profile that consistently distinguishes itself during cupping assessments. The inception of coffee cultivation in Kenya can be traced back to the late 1800s when it was introduced by French missionaries. The variety they introduced was Bourbon, originally sourced from an island known as Bourbon Island (now referred to as La Réunion Island) and subsequently propagated throughout the nation.

Brazil

Brazil is the largest producer of coffee in the world, with a range that encompasses smallholder farms to vast estates. The soils, regional climate, and temperatures provide excellent growing conditions. However, Brazil lacks the altitude that is considered crucial for creating the most exclusive taste profiles expected from Arabica coffee. Much of its coffee is grown at or below 1,000 meters above sea level – much lower than the typical 1,400–1,800 meters found in many other coffee-producing nations.

Over the past decade, Brazil has worked hard to promote itself as a sustainable origin. Global attention has prompted various legislatures to enforce the protection of indigenous habitats and forestry. Many estates have gone further by creating substantial conservation areas on their properties and proving their commitment to sustaining and developing the overall coffee chain by certifying their farms. The typical flavour profile of Brazilian coffee includes notes of nuts, caramel, and a creamy body. However, as producers develop new techniques, newfound sweetness, citrus, and acidity are becoming more common.

Processing

Ethiopia – Natural 

The coffee cherries undergo meticulous handpicking by smallholders, who promptly deliver them to the washing station on the same day. Afterwards, the cherries are hand-sorted to pick out any defective and unripe cherries. Then, they are laid on raised African beds for sun drying. Throughout this period, the lot is regularly stirred and covered with nets at night to protect it from insects and animals. The drying process lasts approximately 25 days, after which the beans are separated from the remaining cherries and undergo additional drying until they reach optimal moisture levels. During this stage, noticeable defects are once again sorted out by hand. 

Kenya – Washed

Coffee cherries are grown and handpicked by Kenyan smallholder farmers from different regions. Following the harvest, they are transported to the local washing station, where they undergo rigorous quality assessment and are then passed for further processing. Within the washing station, the cherries undergo a methodical sorting process followed by de-pulping and washing coffee beans with fresh water. Then, beans are fermented in water tanks to remove any residual pulp effectively. Afterwards, they are sorted by size and quality and laid out on African beds to be sun-dried for an extended period, often exceeding 20 days.

Ultimately, the dried beans are removed from their hulls and packed into jute bags for their transcontinental journey.

Brazil – Natural (Extended)

After the harvesting, coffee cherries go through a two-step sorting process where floaters and unevenly ripened cherries are separated. Then, selected cherries are put inside open-air tanks to ferment at ambient temperature (average 24 degrees Celsius). While fermenting, the temperature naturally increases, and after 72 hours, the lot has reached the appropriate temperature – around 35 degrees Celsius. At this point, the cherries have reached the desired result and have been removed from the fermentation tank. Afterwards, they are transported to raised beds to be slow-dried for 22 days for superior uniformity in the coffee cup.