Ethiopian coffees, and coffees from Yirgacheffe in particular, are some of the most eye opening and vibrant in the world. This fully washed crop comes to us from the microregion of Beriti, through the ECX (Ethiopian Commodity Exchange), losing much of it’s traceability along the way.
Beriti is a small microregion in the southwest corner of the greater Yirgacheffe, and boasts some of the highest growing altitudes Huckleberry has sourced from to date, as high as 2350 meters above sea level. This coffee is grown by farmers throughout Beriti, who cultivate and harvest a diverse array of heirloom Ethiopian coffee varieties that help give great Yirgacheffes their characteristic bright, clean, floral qualities.*
Welcome to my Table, here in the corner of this cafe. Today we’re sipping the Ethiopia Beriti, from Velo Coffee Roasters in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Feel free to pull up a chair.
THEDETAILS:
region: Beriti, Yirgacheffe, Ethiopia
farm: N/A
producer: smallholder farmers
association: ECX
elevation: 2000 – 2350 meters above sea level
cultivars: Ethiopia Heirloom
process: fully washed, raised bed dried
certifications: standard
CUPPINGNOTES:
The aroma of the Ethiopia Beriti is fragrant, but complex—nuanced is an apropos term. Floral, sugary, fruity, and herbaceous with scents of chocolate, tropical fruit, flowers, and mint.
Taking my first few sips of the cup immediately post-brew, the taste seems to follow the nose. I say “seems to” because this is an incredibly complex coffee; lots of things happening herein, and it’s almost as if these individual flavors I’m tasting are coming in waves. First there’s dark chocolate, followed by caramel, followed by roasted almonds, then a bit of earthiness, fresh mint sprig, powdered sugar, back to dark chocolate… These flavors don’t really happen all at once and, what’s more unique, they rest in the background while a steady flow of a generic “tropical fruit mix” flavor flows over the top.
As the cup cools off, however, the “tropical fruit” flavor begins to break down, allowing me to taste the individual components that make up this fruit punch: pineapple, strawberry, Fuji apple, and plum all come to mind.
Medium body; plush mouthfeel; malic acidity; clean finish.
FINALTHOUGHTS:
I’m not sure why, but it really took me a while to get this coffee dialed in just right. It was really finicky and pretty unforgiving with respect to brewing parameters, but, boy oh boy, when I did get it dialed in, it was a real treat.
Velo Coffee Roasters’s Ethiopia Beriti is a delicious cup that ranges the full spectrum of flavors, from rich and decadent dark chocolate to bright and juicy tropical fruits to savory mint sprig. This was a really wild and complex coffee that deserves a spot on your kitchen counter.
*content provided by Huckleberry Roasters
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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.