Gargari Supernatural Ethiopia. Heirloom. Supernatural.

Every bean has a story


This lot originates from the Yirgacheffe region, and more specifically from Kochere, one of the woredas in the Southern Nations of Ethiopia. Primrose Coffee, led by Abreham Mengiste and Meseret Workneh, is the driving force behind Gargari lots, handling the lot separation and production.

There are multiple reasons why Ethiopian naturals are so pleasing, rounded and cohesive, but a major factor that plays to the advantage of the natural processing method is the weather. The weather across the Yirgacheffe Region is incredibly reliable and predictable.

During the harvesting months, the air is dry, and the sun shines with little rainfall interference. The days are warm and the nights are cool, which means most beds do not require the use of a plastic cover for protection. Of course, it is not just these conditions alone - paired with the vast array of wild genetic mutations of the coffee trees, it is clear why we find these naturals have such a balanced cup profile, reliably season after season.

Project Origin

The story of Sasa Sestic begins long before winning the title of World Barista Champion 2015. From humble beginnings in war-torn Bosnia, Sasa’s family immigrated to Australia in 1997. Driven by a love of sport, Sasa competed for Australia in European Handball in the Sydney Olympics in 2000. However, it wasn’t until he started making coffee in a bakery in Canberra that Sasa’s true passion was realised.

While immersed in the café culture, Sasa’s obsession with coffee and his passion for quality led him to begin roasting coffee beans in a garage, attempting to learn everything about coffee and how to perfect it as a drink. This obsession would soon change his life and the world of specialty coffee. He founded Project Origin, an ethical green bean trading company that establishes long-term and mutually rewarding relationships with more than 100 growers in developing coffee producing countries.

Through Project Origin, Sasa introduced in specialty coffee Carbonic Maceration and Supernatural processing methods. The Project Origin Community Fund has allocated money towards projects that build daycare centres, infrastructure, drying beds, green coffee processing and fermentation facilities and more.

Processing

Gargari supernatural grows in small farmers backyards, known as “garden coffee”. The harvest period is October to  February. The team only hand sorts ripe, red cherries at 20-22º Brix. Cherries dry on drying beds. Drying takes typically 20-30 days to reduce moisture content to 10-12%.

They then place the cherries inside sealed tanks and filled with CO2 pushing oxygen out. Tanks controll the yeast activity, temperature and humidity. Long anaerobic fermentation time at cool temperatures makes sure that refinement and clarity of flavor are not compromised.

Primrose, do further quality control. As a minimum, a triple pass through a color sorter and a triple-pass through hand-sorting table.

If you enjoy coffees from Ethiopia, we have you covered! We currently have three Ethiopian coffees, including our other Heirloom coffee, Diima Danche.