This coffee is a prime example of a beautifully executed washed Ethiopian coffee, but is set apart by its depth in the cup. Exhibiting a grape candy-like quality, some hints of raspberry sorbet, and lemonade. Pleasant and easy sipping, but with a depth that keeps you coming back for more. This Ethiopia Bera comes to us from the Bera washing station in Aleta Wendo, Sidama. This coffee is an Ethiopia Landrace variety. While we’re all very familiar with the Heirloom variety, Ethiopia Landrace’s are a sub-variety of the Heirloom variety that have naturally adapted to local conditions over time. They have more genetic diversity and are shaped by natural selection rather than human and science interventions. It’s estimated that there’s over 60 distinct varietals in Ethiopia, and therefore one of the most biodiverse coffee origins, it’s virtually impossible to get truly single varietal coffee from Ethiopia, so most are categorized as heirloom or landrace. Producers from the Bulesa Kebele community deliver cherry to the washing station, where it’s washed and mechanically depulped, then soaked overnight for a wet fermentation, before being dried on raised beds. The Aleta Wendo micro-region is known for having cooler weather conditions that make for a slower cherry maturation; which is excellent for the coffee quality, and producers do an excellent job at picking only ripe cherries and carefully sorting. All of this likely contributing to the high cupping scores and this coffee being highly sought after year after year.