Enlightening Ethiopias

Some exciting samples arrived Monday, the 2008 dry-process Ethiopias from Ninety-Plus. We roasted and tasted three Beloya and three Aricha micro-lots. All were very special coffees, significantly better and distinctly different from the typical dry-processed Ethiopia.

Beloya and Aricha both come from the Yirgacheffe region, and are the result of extremely careful processing. Only the ripest cherries are picked (yes...you hear this about so many coffees, but this one means it!) and the cherries are constantly agitated during drying to prevent any flavor taints from creeping their way into the seeds.

Two lots really jumped out at us; one Aricha and one Beloya. The Aricha had an intensely floral aroma, pure citrus and berry fruit, and a nice supporting acidity. The Beloya had a very distinct blueberry note, with aromas of vanilla and flowers. Every micro-lot we tasted was completely free of any typical dry-process astringency or bagginess, which is extremely rare, and extremely exciting. These coffees have just about everything you want, and nothing you don't.

I absolutely loved these, and I can't wait to cup them in the following days. If they were this good less than twenty-four hours out of the roaster, we should be tasting some mind-blowing coffees later in the week. I'll follow up with more complete cupping notes once I've tasted these a few more times.

A few weeks ago, after tasting one of this year's Esmeralda lots, I commented that our focus is finding very good coffees at a very economical price point. The Aricha and Beloya don't quite fit into this philosophy. They are very expensive coffees, but just might be good enough to make me go back on what I said. These Ethiopias are good evidence that some expensive coffees are completely worth the cost.

-Jon