Ethiopia Danse Mormora

What We Taste: Blueberry  Peach  Cola
 
High in the fertile red-clay hills of Ethiopia's Guji region is the Danse Mormora washing station. This heavily forested area of Ethiopia is known for producing exceptional quality coffee, thanks in part to the high elevation and the ancient volcanic soil. Most coffee growers in the region are small-holder farmers who grow other crops alongside their coffee.  Every small hut has a fenced off area growing other produce including fava beans, maize, bananas, or chat (a local narcotic plant that is chewed). These small gardens are the cash crops that sustain the income for these families, and it’s critical to their livelihood that these crops produce well every year. Most of the cash crops are sold locally, in the local town or marketplace, or traded at local shops or houses for other goods. Chat and coffee are the two biggest cash crops in this area: chat is able to be harvested more often and doesn’t require as much attention to grow, while coffee gets a better price.
 
This coffee is considered 'special preparation', which simply means the coffee cherries are collected from a limited number of small hold farmers and this is a selection of the best quality premium cherry only.  Each day hand-picked coffee cherries are delivered to the wet mill and are meticulously hand-sorted prior to processing to remove unripe, overripe, or damaged fruit, in order to enhance the quality and sweetness of the cup.  The coffee is then graded by weight and spread evenly on raised screens to sun-dry, initially laid very thinly and turned regularly to ensure consistent drying and prevent over-fermentation.  This is done very carefully to avoid damage to the fruit.  After a few days the layers of coffee are gradually increased and turned frequently during this drying phase to ensure the coffee is stable and that a clean and balanced cup profile is achieved.   At midday, the coffee is covered to protect it from full sun and also covered overnight to prevent damage from morning dew.  Once the coffee has reached its optimum moisture level it is hulled and rested in bags in parchment until it is ready for export. 
 
This Ethiopia Danse Mormora has a juicy acidity and pronounced sweetness.  We are tasting blueberries, stone fruit and sparkling cola like notes.
 
Available for either espresso or filter coffee brewing.