MEET THE PRODUCER | Hirut Gute is the owner of Tulise Washing Station, where she collects and processes coffee from over 500 smallholders in Tulise and the surrounding villages. She started processing coffee herself over 23 years ago, experimenting with natural processing methods on their own 17-hectare farm when she and her husband first got married. She has since expanded her processing prowess (as you'll see with this very special anaerobic honey lot) and opened Tulise Washing Station just last year. Today's coffee is a testament to her success as a producer and to her regard in the community, where she has earned the respect of everyone in and around Tulise. TRUST THE PROCESS | Ethiopia isn't exactly known for championing experimental processing methods, but this anaerobic honey lot is proof that some producers are starting to branch out! After being hand-picked at peak ripeness and hand-sorted at the wet mill, the coffee cherries are packed tightly inside plastic barrels and left to ferment without oxygen for 96 hours. With the cherry still intact, they are then laid out on raised beds to dry for up to 10 days. TAKE A SIP | There's something really special about the honey processed coffees coming out of Ethiopia this year - they have a fuller, more rounded flavor than those we've seen in the past, and this lot from Tulise is certainly no exception! It's both intensely acidic and super sweet, boasting vibrant citrus notes, like orange blossom, and also orchard fruit flavors, like ripe peach. The sweetness reminds us of dark honey while the fullness of its flavor makes us think of black tea. The whole experience is giving us real peach cobbler vibes, and we couldn't be happier about it.