Ethiopia Sasaba

Tasting Notes: White peach, bergamot, cane sugar.

In The Cup

Light in body and fruit-forward, this coffee produces a delicate cup with nuanced and clear flavors and aromatics.  Peach notes are complemented by light bergamot florals and a sugary sweetness.  Medium citric acidity emerges as the cup cools and the body becomes more syrupy in consistency. This is a beautiful coffee in pourover and flash chilled preparations.

• If you're a fan light body, lungo-style espresso, Sasaba is a great choice.  The sparkling acidity and bergamot florals present very nicely in at this higher water-to-coffee preparation.  The normale and ristretto shots that we pulled were nice, but probably overly acidic for most palates.  This is also a coffee that would quickly get drowned out in a milk drink, so best enjoyed straight.  The winning recipe on our lab setup (La Marzocco Linea Mini + Mahlkonig X54 grinder) was 17g dry coffee : 42g espresso : 24 seconds.  It featured tart nectarine, balanced by sugary sweetness and bergamot florals.

• We also really enjoyed this coffee as a pour-over, using the Kalita Wave 185 dripper. Our recipe was:
  • Coffee/water ratio: 25g coffee to 400g water (1:16 ratio)
  • Grind: Medium (table salt)
  • Brew time: 3-3:30 minutes
  • Pouring technique: Pour 75g water for a 45 second bloom. Continuously pour the remainder of the water. Let fully draw down, targeting a total brew time of 3-3:30 minutes. 

Origin 

Guji Zone is in southern Ethiopia and features the high altitudes and fertile volcanic soils ideal for growing arabica coffee.  The coffees from this part of the country tend display expressive stone fruit and berry notes, complemented by sparkling acidity.  Production is dominated by smallholder farmers working in partnership with mill owners producing coffees of generally very high quality.

This offering from the Sasaba Washing Station is characteristic of coffees from this region, standing out for its exceptional sweetness and clarity.

The Producer

Tsegay Hagos Tesfaye, founder and owner of Sasaba Washing Station, has established two washing stations in the Kercha District of Ethiopia.  At Sasaba washing station, the red cherries are collected from late October until December and brought to the mill. Cherries intended for washed processing are processed on-site and fermented for about 48 to 72 hours before they are placed on the drying beds for around 7 to 8 days. 

The Sasaba mill makes it a point to work with the more experienced farmers in the area. These are farmers that have been well-trained and have proven that they consistently produce high-quality coffee. This enables them to sell at a premium to the low rates offered by private traders in the area.