This Egu Abaya coffee was grown in the district in Guji, Oromia. Located at an altitude of around 2000-2100 masl, coffee cherries grown in this region mature slowly. Guji is named after a tribe of the Oromo people. The name Messina means ‘a gold mine’ in the local language of Oromifa. Oromo people have a long tradition of coffee cultivation.
Egu Abaye washing station is a privately owned communal wet mill by Israel Degfa who owns and runs more than 20 washing stations across the south and south west of Ethiopia. This lot has 699 smallholder producers delivering coffee cherries to this washing station. During harvest season, farmers deliver their coffee cherries to Egu Abaye daily where coffee is hand sorted before processing.
Producing high quality natural coffee can be challenging and requires high attention to detail. Israel has implemented training programs to increase cherry quality and invested in flotation systems for sorting before cherries go into production.
During processing cherries go through a washed process, followed by fermentation for 78hours, before being dried on African raised beds for another 18 days until coffee cherries are completely dry depending on the climate. This washed Egu Abaye lot is a standout this year. It showcases the complexity of washed coffee from the Guji region.
Years partnered with Axil: 1