Chorso Kebele - Extended Washed Landrace - Ethiopia

ABOUT THIS COFFEE AND PRODUCER

This coffee comes to us through ZEM Coffee, a vertically integrated coffee company founded by Ethiopian and American trio Zele, Emily, and Michael. Their partnership began in 2013 and has evolved through various ventures, including Catalyst Trade, which scaled as an Ethiopian coffee importer from 2018 to 2023. ZEM Coffee now operates with a small team in Kansas City and specialized teams in Ethiopia and Peru. Their focus is on quality coffee and intimate, sustainable partnerships in the coffee industry. 

From the Chorso kebele in the Yirgacheffe growing area, smallholder producers combine their harvest of Ethiopian heirloom and landrace varieties to be processed through an Extended Fermentation Washed process. This process at the Chorso washing station begins with ripe cherries, which undergo meticulous sorting and float tank separation to ensure only the highest density fruit is processed. The cherries are pulped to remove skins, then placed in fermentation tanks to loosen mucilage from the beans. 

Unlike traditional Washed methods, the purpose of the Extended Fermentation method is to maintain a consistent water environment throughout fermentation, conserving water and is closely monitored to prevent over-fermentation. This controlled process results in dynamic, sweet coffee that reflects the terroir. 

After fermentation, the parchment coffee is rinsed in washing channels with filtered river water, agitated until clear, and then drip-dried for 6-10 hours. Finally, the coffee is spread on shaded open-air drying tables to further reduce moisture content. 

Source: Ally Coffee

WHY WE SELECTED THIS COFFEE

It’s incredible to see how far fermentation processes have advanced in Ethiopia, and this coffee is a testament to that progress of natural terroir boosting fermentation. When we first cupped it, we were excited by its distinct classic clean washed Ethiopian landrace qualities paired with an extraordinary vibrancy that sets it apart from the typically delicate, nuanced profiles. The tea and floral notes leap from the cup, supported by remarkable sweetness in a mostly orange citrus category.

This coffee is a stellar example of exceptional fermentation craftsmanship in Ethiopia, and we couldn’t resist sourcing it to share with you. Our roast profile for this dense bean focuses on amplifying its sweet, vibrant acidity while leaving much of the nuance intact for floral and tea qualities in the background. This type of near-ultralight territory of profiles typically requires a 4 week rest period before brewing to pick up on all the great qualities this coffee has to offer. We recommend a higher brewing temperature but also recommend experimenting with extraction levels to find the best balance of sweetness and nuanced flavors.