Ethiopian Sasaba
Ethiopian Sasaba Natural One Roast
Do you love Ethiopian Natural processed coffees too?
There is something incredible about nicely processed Ethiopian coffees, full stop! There is an authenticity and complexity that rarely comes from anywhere else. Sasaba has been amongst our favourite naturals over the last 3 years. Due to processing improvements, the line between processes has narrowed.
It is no surprise or secret that over the last 15 years much of the Ethiopian coffee we buy is via Trabocca. They have offices in Addis, pay premiums and also reinvest in long-term relationships in coffee farms, mills, and schools (of the mill workers and farmers). Ethiopia is not a straightforward country to deal with (you only have to look at the news…it’s not great) and improving the long-term future is a more realistic objective than changing tribal into metro overnight. We have met some of our Ethiopian growers and can see that the system is progressive and mutually beneficial.
Country: Ethiopia
Varieties: Mixed Heirloom
Mill Owner: Tsegaye
District: Oromia region, Guji Zone
Rainfall: 1.8-2.5 Meters per year
Soil: Clay.
1800 Meters above sea level.
Cup potential: Soft, sweet and fruity like melon, distant citrus and “cocoa rich”. This was the easiest phrase I could find that could sum up the depth and richness at the end of shots and also in a cupping bowl. In espresso, predictably we get more acidity and to curb this we have used longer extractions, starting at 28 through to 36 seconds as a guide.
Roast: Light; This is a light filter roast, where we have found the most sweetness and enough soluble to extract nicely in espresso.
Brew recipe: Admittedly this is being brewed in espresso a little fresher than we might like, however, there was not a single negative. Espresso 17-18g into 35g + and filter 55g a litre and upwards.
Sasaba mill processes cherries from many small producers. They have been improving the quality over the last 3-4 years and reaping the rewards.
The mill is really remote and hard to access, but one day we will get there!.
