This coffee is produced in the Yirgacheffe region, which is situated in the Sidama province. Approximately 800 farmers that live in the Konga district grow coffee on their small plots of land, and bring it to the Sedie washing station. On average, each farmer owns about 2 hectares of land that are planted with coffee trees.
Besides growing coffee, these farmers also grow additional subsistence crops like false banana and fruit trees, some of them even raise cattle. All the picked cherries are processed at the Sedie station. The cherries must first go through a selection procedure to ensure that only the ripened red cherries will be processed. Natural coffees are then immediately dried on raised beds.
There are about 145 raised beds at Sedie. They are constructed with wood, mesh wire, jute bags and shade nets. It process takes between 15 and 20 days, depending on the weather conditions. It’s essential for the air to be able to circulate to optimize the drying process. When the coffee beans have reached a moisture percentage of 11.5-12%, they are stored in a local warehouse before being transported to Addis Ababa.*
Welcome to my Table, here in the corner of this cafe. Today we’re sipping the Ethiopia Konga, from Metropolis Coffee Company in Chicago, Illinois, courtesy of Craft Coffee. Feel free to pull up a chair.
THEDETAILS:
region: Gedeo, Konga, Yirgacheffe, Ethiopia
farm: Sedie Washing Station
producer: smallholder farmers
association: Sedie Konga Farmers Group
elevation: 1862 – 1920 meters above sea level
cultivars: Ethiopia Heirloom
process: natural
certifications: standard
CUPPINGNOTES:
The aroma of the Ethiopia Konga is quintessentially that of a natural Yirgacheffe. Bright and sweet sugary blueberry jam
Taking my first few sips of the cup immediately post-brew, a medium-bodied coffee lazily rolls over the tongue with its jellied mouthfeel. Almond butter coats the palate first, introducing bright and vibrant mixed berry flavors. Blueberry is the predominant tasting note, of course, but I’m also tasting a medley of tart raspberry and blackberry preserves singing quietly in the background. While the coffee is still pretty hot, I’m also tasting just a little bit of sourdough toast through the finish.
As the cup cools off, the body thins and the texture gets more syrupy than jellied. The flavor profile doesn’t change very much here in the back half; the intensity is of the flavors is the only thing that changes, really, as they diminish more and more closer to room temperature, which I’ve fully come to expect from natural Yirgs—at least this coffee’s profile doesn’t completely bottom out like others I’ve tried.
Medium body; jellied mouthfeel; berry acidity; clean finish.
FINALTHOUGHTS:
Look. Natural Yirgs are usually pretty interesting coffees; natural Yirgs that hail from the Konga region are usually pretty interesting coffees. I would say, though, that Metropolis Coffee’s Ethiopia Konga is a pretty interesting coffee even for an Ethiopia Konga.
Does that make any sense?
While most of the coffee presented pretty prototypically (blueberry, flowers, etc), a couple of notes really stood out: almond butter and sourdough toast.
*content provided by Metropolis Coffee Company
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Andrew is a husband, father, dog lover, craft beverage enthusiast, content creator, and niche market Internet celebrity. Formerly of A Table in the Corner of the Cafe and The Pulitzer Project and contributor to Barista Magazine and Mental Floss, he’s been writing on the Internet for years.