Crossroads - Guatemala/Ethiopia - Dark

Origin

• 🇪🇹 Ethiopia· Yirgacheffe
• 🇬🇹 Guatemala· Huehuetenango

Tasting notes

Character

• Comforting
• Funky

Tariku Kare Bombe Outgrowers, Nensebo, Sidama, Ethiopia Process: NaturalNatural processThe whole cherry is dried with the fruit still on the seed. Gives heavier body and big fruit flavors — think berries and wine — sometimes with a fermenty edge. Varietal: 74158, 74110, 74112 Producer: Tariku Kare Altitude: 2000-2200 MASL Region: SNNPR 96°46'11.7"E Production: 160 Bags COMMUNITY CONTEXT In the heart of Nensebo woreda, Refisa washing stationWashing stationA central mill where many smallholder farmers deliver cherry for processing. In Ethiopia, Kenya, and Rwanda the station name (e.g. Idido) often identifies the coffee. purchases from a total of 593 farmers delivering red cherry from Refisa, Roricho, Bulga and Riripa villages. Located in Oromia, about 400km south of Addis Ababa, Nensebo woreda is home to a collection of smallholderSmallholderA farmer growing coffee on a small family plot — often under two hectares. Most of the world's coffee is grown this way, typically pooled at cooperatives or washing stations. farmers spanning 5,000 hectares of coffee at extraordinarily high elevations up to 2200 masl. The average farm size in Nensebo is two hectares and contains a mix of local coffee varieties, including wild varietals originating from the neighboring forests. Nensebo is a new coffee growing area, categorized as Sidama D on the ECX coffee map. The story of the washing station's owner, Tariku Kare, is one of the success that comes when hard work and perseverence collide with opportunity. Tariku was born in Bombe and, at 15 years old, began working as a cherry sorter for a local cooperative. He worked his way—first receiving a promotion to wash coffee in the channels, and then when a man from Awassa opened a washing station in Nansebo, he was tapped to manage. The market disruptions led that owner to bankruptcy so Tariku and 17 other workers at the washing station formed a company, opened a new washing—which Tariku managed. Later, he opened a new washing station by himself—this one, in Arsi—to supply coffee to the international market. Once that mill in Nansebo was stabilized and had enough producers contributing cherry, he returned to his hometown of Bombe and built a washing station there. At his sites, Tariku pays a premium over local prices for ripe red cherry and works hard to incentivize farmers to deliver cherry to his washing stations each year. COUNTRY CONTEXT Ethiopia is a coffee powerhouse. It's the birthplace of the plant, the seventh largest producing country in world, and one of th