Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Danche
ETHIOPIA
DANCHE
STAR JASMINE, EARL GREY, HONEY + FRESH APPLE
BEAN DETAILS:
ORIGIN: Gedeb Yirgacheffe, Ethiopia
ELEVATION: 1900-2200 masl
VARIETY: Heirlooms
PROCESS: Washed heirlooms
TASTING NOTES: Star jasmine, earl grey, lemon drop, and fresh apple
ROAST TYPE: Light
Farm Level
Danche is the name of the small hamlet within Chelbesa town where this wet mill and coffee are from, in District Gedeb. This is one of the largest coffee producing areas in Gedeb, boasting semi-forested shade canopy in many parts, and altitudes ranging from 1,900 to a staggering 2,200 meters above sea level. The washing station Chelbesa is relatively new, having only been built back in 2019. It is part of a group of stations run by SNAP Specialty Coffee, Chelbesa being one of their most recent ventures.
The wet mill is outfitted with ceramic tile fermentation tanks designed to retain heat. This area is very cold, and they even cover the coffee in plastic tarpaulin while fermenting to help in this effort. From a practical standpoint, tile tanks are also a lot easier to clean than cement tanks (also commonly used) being a less porous material. The coffee is fermented without water for 72 to 96 hours before washing away the sticky mucilage, and transferring to the drying tables.
They currently buy coffee from nearly 500 farmers in Chelbesa village who typically manage very small farms, often 200 coffee trees or less. This fully washed, wet process coffee from Chelbesa exudes the clean floral characteristics we often think of as synonymous with the Yirga Cheffe region, which makes sense given its proximity to the region. I'll also note that the site is certified organic, though this lot was not purchased with certification.
General Brewing Instructions
- Filtered water. Spring water is ideal. Removing chloride, sulfur, and iron is essential.
- A burr grinder. The more even the coffee particles, the better the coffee. Burr grinders, whether manual or electric, will do a better job than "whirly-blade" grinders. Invest in a burr grinder. Your taste buds (and coffee roaster) will thank you.
- A scale. I know using a scale can seem a bit like you're doing something you shouldn't be. Trust me, you can only brew consistently great coffee with a scale. Water and coffee are hard to measure without one.
- Clean equipment. Properly cleaning your equipment is the only way to avoid stale and rancid coffee flavors entering your cup. Please keep your equipment clean. The sooner and more often you clean your gear, the easier it will be in the long run. Add it to your ritual and thank us later.
- Delicious and freshly roasted Color Coffee
- Hario V60 02. Check out Scott Rao's video on how to brew a better pourover than your local cafe does.
- French Press. Check out James Hoffman's video on how to brew a next level cup.
- Aeropress. Check out Tim Wendelboe's video on how to brew an exceptionally easy and delicious cup.
Coffee Faq
IS YOUR COFFEE ORGANIC OR FAIR TRADE?
In many cases, yes. However, our first priority is quality and flavor. Sometimes these priorities align and our producers are certified organic and/or fair trade. We always pay well above fair trade rates (which are quite low and don’t guarantee sustainability or quality).
Often times, the producers we work with are too small to gain certifications. It’s expensive and laborious. Many of our producers are certified organic and fair trade, including many of our producers in Peru, Ethiopia, and Mexico.
WHAT IS THE BEST TIME-FRAME TO DRINK MY COFFEE?
We recommend drinking our coffee within one month of the roast date. Most of our coffees taste best however within 2 - 14 days of roast date.
For espresso, we recommend using coffee that has rested at least 7 days after roast date. This is because coffee gives off CO2 after roasting that can interfere with extraction. One way to get around this is to let your ground espresso dose sit for 30-120 minutes before pulling the shot. Email info@colorroasters.com for more questions about this.
If you are pre-grinding the coffee, we recommend drinking the coffee within one week of grinding.
CAN YOU GRIND MY COFFEE ON WEB ORDERS?
Yes, we can. Please select how you want your coffee to be ground at the time you place your order. Simply click on the arrow beside "Grind" and make your selection. If you need help choosing let us know the brewing method you will be using to prepare the coffee, in the notes of the order. And we will be happy to grind the coffee for you on our commercial grinder.
DO YOU HAVE BREW RECIPES?
These are in the works! We are compiling a bunch and even shooting some video, to help you brew like us at home.
In the meantime...go here: Pour Overs | Aeropress to get some expert advice.
MY COFFEE TASTES WEAK, WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?