Aricha Ethiopia. Heirloom. Washed.

Every bean has a story
In the famous Yirgacheffe region of Ethiopia, in the Gedeo Zone, there is an upcoming coffee station called Aricha. Yirgacheffe lies within the state of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region (SNNPR) of Ethiopia, at the central south area of the country. Without doubt, it is home to the most exclusive and complex profiles Ethiopia have to offer.

The Aricha washing station is located in the Idido Valley of the Yirgacheffe district. Between 650 and 700 small coffee farms produce this coffee in the Gedeo Zone, approximately 4 kilometers west of the town of Yirgacheffe. The Gedeo Zone has taken its name from the Gedeo people, who are indigenous to this area. These small coffee farmers deliver ripe cherries to Aricha although it is located at 1,925 meters above sea level. 

Over 300 farmers deliver their cherries to the Aricha Washing Station. At intake, employees hand-sort incoming cherries to remove any under- or over-ripe or damaged cherries, and then pulp coffee cherries. After pulping, the beans are taken to fermentation for 36 to 48 hours and then washed. 

The name of this coffee is “Aricha Washed G1”. In essence, Grades (G) in Ethiopia depend on visual inspection for defects and on cup quality. Grade 1 is essentially the highest quality coffee. Grades 1 and 2 are for specialty coffee, grades 3-9 are classified as commercial coffee. 

The exceptional quality of the Aricha coffee is down to a combination of factors. In other words, the fertile soil and the micro-climate are the main factors that have made Aricha coffee so quickly well known worldwide.

If you enjoy coffees from Ethiopia, we recommend you give our other Heirloom coffee, Buki, a try!