ELC | Ethiopia Guji Laayyoo
Cold Brew Bright Profile | Light roast
Tasting Notes: Orange, Green Apple, Juicy
IT ALL STARTS AT THE COFFEE FARM
This coffee was processed at the Raro Nensebo washing station in Uraga, Guji by Sookoo Coffee. Approximately 35 farmers deliver fruit to this washing station, having grown their coffee in nearby Teraga kebele (village), each on farms of around 7 acres.
The farms sit at a stunning elevation of between 2,100 and 2,350 meters (over 7,000 feet) above sea level - some of the highest altitudes that coffee can grow! This lot is primarily comprised of the 74110 and 74112 coffee varieties, which are local varieties selected for their production and disease resistance.
Raro Nensebo washing station is run by Ture Waji, also known as “The King of Guji”, who also founded Sookoo Coffee. Ture has strong connections to the land and community in the Guji region, and employs a ‘woman-first’ policy at the two washing stations he owns, meaning they give priority to hiring women during the harvest.
Between harvests, Ture and his team educate farmers on good agricultural practices, in order to help improve the quality of their cherry.
The strict drying protocols followed by Sookoo Coffee include a having a maximum coffee fruit layer density of 4cm and moving the cherries around on the beds 6 times per day. This reduces the risk of over-fermentation during drying, which would create sour, musky, or funky flavors in the cup. The standard drying time for this lot was between 21-28 days.
Ture's company also provides pre-harvest loans to farmers who need it: for example, to pay for hired labor to do maintenance on the farm, such as weeding and plantingm and the company has built a school for the children. Roads have also been built to improve the infrastructure.
TRACEABILITY
COUNTRY
Ethiopia
REGION
Guji
IMPORTER
Coffee Quest
VARIETAL
Regional landraces, 74110 and 74112
PRODUCER
35 smallholder producers
MILL / WASHING STATION
Raro Nensebo
PROCESSING
Natural
ALTITUDE
2100 - 2350 meters
DID YOU KNOW
The word Laayyoo refers to an indigenous tree that grows around Teraga kebele (or village), and is used for shade on coffee farms. Its deep roots allow for the falling leaves to offer rich, nutrient dense compost, also acting as a fertilizer.The word Laayyoo refers to an indigenous tree that grows around Teraga kebele (or village), and is used for shade on coffee farms. Its deep roots allow for the falling leaves to offer rich, nutrient dense compost, also acting as a fertilizer.
PRICE TRANSPARENCY
$5.35
Price paid by Driftaway
$4.55
Free on Board price
$3.03
Farm Gate price
$1.96
Fair Trade price per pound
$1.76
Coffee C-Market price per pound
$0.05
Driftaway's World Coffee Research contribution per pound
This coffee travelled 7,038 miles to the Driftaway Coffee roastery in Queens.
Love the coffee? You can share your compliments & tasting observations with the farmers.
WHY DID WE SELECT THIS COFFEE?
We love this coffee and look forward to the fresh harvvest coming back every summer - it's a fun and unusual coffee that can be roasted very light and tastes fresh and juicy with a really lovely floral aroma - a perfect choice for the Fruity profile.
We appreciate the care and quality control at Raro Nensebo comes across in the cup, and we love that Ture's policy to hire women workers first at the washing station.
AVERAGE CUPPING SCORE
86.75
/100
86.75
SCAA Cupping Score
15 x 60 kg
Bags purchased
4 years
Length of producer relationship
100% (in 2022)
Transparent coffees purchased
HOW DID WE ROAST THIS COFFEE?
This coffee is being roasted by Ian T. from August 13 to September 6 in Brooklyn. We use the Loring Kestrel roaster for this profile. We have strict guidelines for each of the coffee profiles, and this roast has to pass the development time ratio test as measured in real-time by the roasting software, Cropster. Once it does, it is approved for production.
QUALITY CONTROL
We perform Quality Control via a process of coffee tasting called cupping on all of our production roasts once a week at our roastery in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Each cupping is conducted by James M. and Ian T. using standard equipment, and is logged by our Q-certified cupper Ian T. All coffees are evaluated on a scoring scale of 0 to 3.
- 3.0 = exceptional roast - exceeds expectations
- 2.5 = on par with profile - matches expectations
- 2.0 = good roast, but 1 or 2 elements could be improved - needs improvement
- 1.5 or lower = failed - do not ship
PRODUCTION AND SHIPPING
Less than 24 hours after roasting, we bag your coffee in our production facility in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Our production team is led by Anthony and Torie, and supported by a rotating cast of local artists, musicians and independent professionals.
AT YOUR HOME
Brew this coffee with your favorite home brewer and enjoy the taste of incredible coffee! Here are a few tips on how to make the best coffee on each brewer.
View other posts about how to make better coffee at home on our blog Coffeecademy.
