Description / Cupping Notes

Notes of lemon, berry, apricot and honey throughout. A coating body and lemon acidity moves to a lemongrass finish.

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BACKGROUND

One of the largest collectives on the African Continent, the Yirgacheffe Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (YCFCU) is renowned for consistently providing classic cup profiles in both washed and heirloom varietals. YCFCU was formed in 2002 as an association of 22 local cooperatives, who had formerly sold exclusively to local coffee boards. Located in Gedeo, southern Ethiopia, the Union utilizes over 62,000 hectares in one of the most famous growing regions of the country. On average they produce 9,000 tons of Yirgacheffe and 3,000 tons of washed Sidamo each year. The area also produces 24,000 tons of sundried coffee annually. Yirgacheffe coffee is produced in areas inter-planted with bananas which help to shade the coffee trees and are also used for local food consumption purposes.Certified by Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO) in 2003, the major aim of the YCFCU has been to secure better prices for farmers. Their mission is to promote and support the continuing development of a sustainable coffee supply, by offering producers access to the international market and promoting social and environmentally sustainable practices. Traditional Ethiopian coffee cultivation practices are still prevalent amongst YCFCU farmers. Coffee trees are managed by hand and fertilized with organic matter. Farmers choose to follow traditional cultivation practices rather than using chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides.