Ethiopia Gedeb 1 Natural (Yirgacheffe)

So I am in a quandary introducing this coffee to you.  It is a beautiful natural Ethiopian from the district of Gedeb, in the southern part of the Gedeo Zone in southwestern Ethiopia.  My quandary is this: coffee from the Gedeo Zone is usually titled with the broader name of Yirgacheffe–so do I call this coffee by its more accurate name, Gedeb, or by its better known name, Yirgacheffe?

I am quite sure that the farmers who grew and processed this spectacular bean would prefer it to be called Ethiopia Gedeb 1 Natural Premium Preparation Wuri–a title that best explains this unique coffee.  It is grown from indigenous cultivars, in the country known as the birthplace of coffee.  According to our broker, “communities around Gedeb reach some of the highest growing elevations for coffee in the world and have a long history of arabica preservation and genetic diversity.”

This is a premium preparation from the Wuri washing station, whose name means “high altitude.”  This lot is carefully sun dried in a single layer on raised beds, and in addition it receives extra sorting–more passes in the color sorter and the removal of imperfect beans by hand.

All this care means that in the cup this is a standout coffee.  It starts with a distinct berry aroma, and as you sip, you taste light floral and lemon notes, with a touch of dried stone fruit.  It’s an excellent Ethiopian, and certainly deserves to be known by its specific region: Gedeb.