Ethiopia Guji Shakiso Dry Process

This coffee comes from the Kebele of Gigesa, which is near the town of Shakisa, which is in the larger growing area of Guji. It's the product of hundreds of local outgrowers, each of whom have gardens filled with Ethiopia's famed heirloom/landrace trees. Once the Gigesa washing station received the cherries, it put them through some quality-oriented paces. First, the cherries were sorted in flotation tanks, then they were left under shade for a few days before heading to a set of raised beds for three weeks of sun-drying. 

Black cherry plays the leading role in this cup. Too many of us associate black cherry with the type found in Mick Jagger's favorite flavor—that would be cherry red—but its artificial expression doesn't remotely resemble the real deal. Plucked from a tree, black cherry has a pleasing tartness. It's sweet, of course, but the sugars are woven with malic acid, and the combination is defining. That's what you get in this black cherry note, an even mix of sweetness and fruity acid. There's some huckleberry here, which recalls a compote you might find alongside a fresh-from-the-oven tart. And the final note, which turns out to be the cup's biggest surprise, is the limeade. It starts as a background player, but, as the cup cools, it becomes more and more dominant until, eventually, it steals the show.