Ethiopia — Lalesa Washing Station 74110 & 74112 "Gedeb Woreda" (Black Honey)

Tastes Like — 🍇 Black Currant • 🍒 Mon Chéri Cherry Pralines • 🍷 Red Wine • 🍫 Cacao Nibs

DETAILS

• Washing Station: Lalesa
• Region: Gedeb, Yirgacheffe, Ethiopia
• Varietal: 74110 & 74112
• Process: Black Honey
• Altitude: 1,900–2,300 masl
• Roast Profile: Light to Medium-Light (Filter)

INTRO
Ever fancy a glass of red wine in the afternoon but not quite yet? This Ethiopia delivers that experience in an elegant caffeinated form, a coffee that stands apart from typical African beans. A bright black currant acidity opens, immediately balanced by the sweetness of Mon Chéri-style cherry pralines, underlined by dense red wine tones and bittersweet cacao nibs. The result is a layered, full cup that feels more like a lavish dessert. In the cup: black currant, Mon Chéri cherry pralines, red wine, and cacao nibs.

THE PRODUCER
The green coffee comes from the famous Yirgacheffe region, from the Gedeb area. The fresh harvest is handled by the Lalesa washing station, where smallholders from the surrounding area deliver their crop. Their trees grow at extreme altitudes of 1,900 to 2,300 meters, among the highest positions in the country, where thinner mountain air and cooler climate let cherries ripen extremely slowly. They cultivate the popular Ethiopian varieties 74110 and 74112, local cultivars known for high resilience, which give the raw material an exceptionally rich flavour potential.

THE PROCESS
The unique Black Honey processing has the largest share in this decadent profile. After hand-picking the ripest cherries and sorting them carefully, the fruit goes through a pulping machine that removes only the outer skin, deliberately leaving the maximum of sticky, sugar-rich mucilage on the bean. The coffee then moves to drying beds where it dries very slowly. Because of the large amount of sugar left, the drying coating takes on its typical black colour. This lengthy, carefully monitored process gives the cup its full body, red wine tones, and dense praline sweetness.

Leaving the maximum mucilage on during slow drying is the defining step. It's what builds the full body, red wine character, and praline sweetness that define this cup.

THE CUP
Layered and full: bright black currant acidity opens, immediately balanced by cherry praline sweetness, with dense red wine tones and bittersweet cacao nibs underneath. More lavish dessert than everyday filter.

Flavour Notes
🍇 Black Currant 🍒 Mon Chéri Cherry Pralines 🍷 Red Wine 🍫 Cacao Nibs