This lot was purchased from a mill which neighbours their Bensa Logita mill.
Nansebo
Harenna Forest
We have been purchasing Ethiopian coffees through Moplaco for four years now, and have grown to trust their buying practices and the quality that they are able to offer, both in coffees they produce themselves, and those they purchase from neighbouring mills. This lot is an example of the latter. This year we have purchased both a natural and a washed lot from Moplaco’s partner station in the Nansebo ‘Woreda’, or district. The Nansebo Woreda is rather rural, mainly located within the Harenna forest, where coffee still grows wild underneath natural forest cover. The station is owned by a father and son, and is located not far from Moplaco’s Bensa Logita station from which we have purchased several coffees in the past. It was through their work in the local area that Moplaco were able to start purchasing coffees from stations around their own. Here on the edge of the Harenna forest we find very high altitude, with coffee able to grow at up to 2300 masl due to the protection the forest provides. This leads to conditions that are perfect for growing high quality Arabica coffees, with cool temperatures and especially cool nights leading to slow cherry maturation and very dense seeds. This natural process lot is showcasing some of the work that has been going on in Ethiopia in recent years, aiming for clean and ripe natural coffees, with much less of the hay-like ‘funk’ than previously. Here this is reminiscent of soft and ripe berries.


Here we find a rich and soft cup, with ripe berry notes.
Nansebo
How coffee grows in Ethiopia
In Ethiopia, coffee still grows semi-wild, and in some cases completely wild. Apart from some regions of neighbouring South Sudan, Ethiopia is the only country in which coffee is found growing in this way, due to its status as the genetic birthplace of arabica coffee. This means in many regions, small producers still harvest cherries from wild coffee trees growing in high altitude humid forests, especially around Ethiopia’s famous Great Rift Valley.
There are three categories of forest coffee growing in Ethiopia, Forest Coffee (FC), Semi-Forest Coffee (SFC), and Forest Garden Coffee (FGC), with each having an increasing amount of intervention from coffee producers. Forest coffee makes up a total of approximately 60% of Ethiopia’s yearly output, so this is a hugely important method of production, and part of what makes Ethiopian coffee so unique.
Throughout all of these systems, a much higher level of biodiversity is maintained than in modern coffee production in much of the rest of the world. This is partly due to the forest system, and partly down to the genetic diversity of the coffee plants themselves. There are thousands of so far uncategorised ‘heirloom’ varieties growing in Ethiopia; all descended from wild cross pollination between species derived from the original Arabica trees. This biodiversity leads to hardier coffee plants, which don’t need to be artificially fertilised. This means that 95% of coffee production in Ethiopia is organic, although most small farmers and mills can’t afford to pay for certification, so can’t label their coffee as such. The absence of monoculture in the Ethiopian coffee lands also means plants are much less susceptible to the decimating effects of diseases such as leaf rust that have ripped through other producing countries.
Technical Data
-
Producer
Nansebo Farmers -
Region
West Arsi -
Altitude
2100 masl -
Varietal
Heirloom -
Process
Natural -
Harvest
December 2020
Natural Process
The natural, or dry process, is the traditional process, going back generations. When accomplished in a controlled and careful manner, dry processed coffees can produce flavour experiences not found in wet processed coffees, deep fruits and florals, normally with heavier mouthfeel and lower acidity. The cherries are first sorted, and then laid out on in thin layers (2-6 cm) on raised drying beds. These are almost always used for high quality naturals, as they aid airflow around the coffee as it dries, enabling more even drying.
It is very important that coffees are sorted very carefully early on in the drying process, as all of the cherries quickly turn dark brown, making it impossible to separate under and overripe cherries. The cherries are turned frequently to avoid mold formation or over-fermentation, until they reach a moisture content of below 20%, and the outer cherry layer shrinks and blackens. This process takes between 2 and 4 weeks, depending on weather conditions.
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Mon - Fri: 7:00 - 18:00
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813 Charoen Krung Rd, Talat Noi, Samphanthawong
10100 Bangkok
Thailand
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Mon - Fri: 8:00 - 17:00
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304 Phahonyothin Road, Samsen Nai, Phaya Thai
10400 Bangkok
Thailand
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Marguerite Vibys Pl. 1
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Have a question?
Marguerite Vibys Pl. 1
2000 Frederiksberg
Denmark
Have a question?
Please write us in the chat.
Marguerite Vibys Pl. 1
2000 Frederiksberg
Denmark
Have a question?