Werka, Ethiopia, Espresso

This lot is made up of coffees grown near the kebele (local village) of Werka (pronounced “wer-kah”), which is located in the Nensebo woreda (administrative district), in Ethiopia’s West Arsi Zone. The coffee was processed using the natural method at Gara Kone washing station, one of 26 owned and managed by Testi Coffee, a family-owned company founded by Mr Faysel A. Yonis.

Sitting at an impressive 2,020 meters above sea level, Gara Kone produces exceptional natural coffees. The washing station currently employs around 200 workers, who process some 1.5 million kilograms of coffee cherry each year. During harvest, this freshly picked coffee is delivered daily by some 750 – 800 independent outgrowers to the kebele of Refisa, where Gara Kone is located.

The majority of the families that contribute to this lot farm organically on tiny plots of land, averaging under two hectares in size. Coffee is their main cash crop and grows alongside food crops of corn, grain and bananas, under the shade of native Birbira, Wanza, and Acacia trees. The average elevation of the farms in this region is very high – around 1,950–2,150m above sea level – and this, combined region’s cool temperatures, is ideal for the slow ripening of coffee cherries, leading to denser beans and a sweeter, more complex cup profile.