Koke is the name of the village where this coffee is produced and processed; it boasts beautiful views of the countryside courtesy of its high altitude. The coffee delivered here comes from over 4000 small farmers that all grow coffee to exceptional standards.
Welcome to my Table, here in the corner of this cafe. Today we’re sipping the Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Koke, from Sunergos Coffee in Louisville, Kentucky. Feel free to pull up a chair.
THEDETAILS:
region: Koke, Yirgacheffe, Ethiopia
farm: N/A
producer: smallholder farmers
association: N/A
elevation: 1900 – 2100 meters above sea level
cultivars: Ethiopia Heirloom
process: natural
certifications: standard
BREWINGSPECS:
method: Hario V60
grind: 20, Preciso
coffee: 32 g
water: 500 mL
bloom: 2:00
pour: 2:30 concentric pulse pour, 1:00 drop
CUPPINGNOTES:
The Ethiopia Koke’s aroma is really interesting; certainly not all that representative of a natural Yirg. Instead of big berry bombs exploding out of the cup, it is instead sweet and delicately nuanced with genteel scents of vanilla, lilac, rose hips, red fruits, and zesty lemon rind.
As I take my first few sips of the immediately post-brew, my palate is graced by a flavor profile that is every bit as delicate, genteel, and nuanced as its aroma. Up front, this coffee is just beautiful—sweet and complex with creamy vanilla, honey, and graham cracker pie crust laying down a foundation for tart raspberry and floral aromatics of chamomile tea and rose hips, which come fluttering in over the top and tickle the roof of my mouth.
As it cools off, the cup becomes even more complex, somewhat tart, very silky, sparkling, and effervescent. My goodness what a beautiful coffee this is! These fruit flavors emerging in the second half of the cup are poignant and defined, particularly because of the coffee’s crystal clarity, but they’re not overpowering and they don’t decimate my taste buds (like many natural Yirgs are wont to do). The silky and malic juiciness of Fuji apple streams over the palate, bringing along with it flavors of roasted almond, mandarin, apricot, peach, and a zesty lemon acidity that was hinted in the coffee’s aroma.
Medium body; silky mouthfeel; citrus acidity; clean finish.
FINALTHOUGHTS:
A very, very unique natural Yirgacheffe is the Ethiopia Koke, from Sunergos Coffee.
This coffee was so delicate, so fine, so genteel, so complex and nuanced; moreover, it was so delicious. I loved everything about this cupping experience.
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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.