Ethiopia Sawana Washed

About this coffee

Sewda Natural Coffee Processing Wet Mill, where this Sawana lot comes from, is located in the region of Oromia, Guji, Ethiopia. It is a purchasing and processing station, where local coffee farmers harvest ripe cherries and deliver them daily. It serves around 600 smallholder farmers in the area. Upon delivery, cherries are weighed, organized, and sorted accordingly. Contributing producers are paid a market price that includes a premium for high-quality selection.

Sewda Wet Mill is owned by Testi Trading PLC, a family-owned company embedded at the origin to supply the specialty coffee industry with high-quality coffee beans. Mr. Faysel together with his family established Testi Trading PLC in 2009. The name ‘Testi’ means joy or Happiness in the Harrari language (it is also the name of Faysel’s middle son). Testi is focusing on quality and long-term relationships, as well as maximizing the potential of Ethiopian Coffee. Their focus is to work with their supply chain of smallholder farms to improve their livelihoods and living conditions.

The present lot followed a washed process. After coffee cherries are delivered to the washing station, they’re carefully sorted and floated to remove any defects, ensuring only the highest quality cherries make it through. The cherries are pulped and fermented for 26-32 hours, then washed and further sorted before being laid out to dry on raised beds.

It takes 10-14 days for the beans to reach their optimal moisture level, and they constantly have to be turned and raked to maintain drying consistency and quality. The beds are also covered every day between 12-3pm to protect the delicate coffee beans from the sun, and again at night as a barrier against humidity.

This is the second of the two washed Ethiopian coffees that we will release this year thanks to the help of our friends at PlotCoffee. In the cup, you will find an elevated classic washed Ethiopian profile, expect notes of rose hips, iced tea, and bergamot.