Introducing Ethiopia Amaro Gayo Washed

We are excited to offer two new coffees to our list. We have an Ethiopian Amaro Gayo and a Mexican Fiech. These are great additions to what we offer and we are looking forward to hearing your feedback! Also, we are almost out of the Rwandan Kigeyo, and Colombian El Bordo is completely gone for the year.  Here are some quick summaries of our new offerings

Ethiopia Amaro Gayo Washed

As part of our new coffee offerings, this particular coffee comes from Ethiopia’s only female exporter. Her name is Asnaketch Thomas and she is native to the Amaro region, situated within the larger Sidamo region of Ethiopia. She is concerned with helping her surrounding communities with job creation, schooling, and medical assistance.  You can read more about Asnaketch’s work with the community at www.amarogayocoffee.com.

As being native to the region, she is well aware of the richness that the country has to offer, like the highland bamboo forests and waterfalls, which add to the uniqueness of this coffee. Amaro Gayo is 100% certified organic as well.T he Amaro Gayo is an Arabica coffee of indigenous varieties that is grown at an elevation of 5200 feet. The washed processing method gives the coffee a cleaner cup with more citrus character than the “natural” version of the same coffee.  We’ll be featuring this “natural” process version later this summer.

Cup characteristics:  Floral, citrus, clean soft acidity, orange marmalade, silky body.

Mexico Fiech

The Mexican Fiech is a coffee from 13 small cooperatives found in the Chiapas region. The farmers all belong to the Indigenous Ecological Federation of Chiapas (FIECH), which has won an award called the National Ecological Prize for environmental stewardship by the government in 1996.

Tzotzil, Tzeltal, Mame, Chuj and Zoque farmers formed the organization in 1996 to improve the quality of life and obtain affordable credit, while considering the concerns of the environment. Along with the original regions, the co op now has farmers from the Frailesca, Costa, Sierra Madre, Fronteriza and Norte regions.

By becoming a certified organic organization, these farmers have tripled their average income, while also implementing programs to build school dormitories, create women's programs and started a community-lending bank. Since the development of the organization, the farmers have used their resources and extra income to improve their homes, further education, and provide medical care for their families.

The coffee is grown and tended to at 4500 feet.  The varieties of Arabica grown include Arabe, Bourbon, and Mundonovo, which are harvested from December to April.

Cup characteristics: Green apple, crisp acidity, nutty, syrupy body