It is time to experiment with a classic African bean, from Ethiopia. This bean is water processed, like the Central American beans I have been roasting. That means there will be less bright-fruit notes that are characteristic of dry processed African beans. I think this will make a nice entry point for more African grown beans. It is also recommended for darker roasts like Full City+ where I suspect most folks like beans roasted. I have always felt Ethiopian beans make one of my favorite espressos. Even at a dark roast there will still be fruit qualities one doesn’t get from Central/South American espresso. Experiment!
Some tasting notes from Sweet Maria’s:
Dynamic cup flavors, honeyed sweetness, apricot preserves, peach tea, cherry, and complex masala spice mix. A very friendly dark roast Ethiopian candidate too! City to Full City+. Good Ethiopian espresso.
Sweet Maria’s: “Geta Bore is such a delicious brewed coffee that offers fragrant sweetness, and syrupy stone fruit accent notes. That stone fruit essence is something we note in a lot of the Western cooperative coffee, an aspect that seems to be unique, if not common to certain Oromia regions. The fragrance and aroma are marked by notes of honey laced with cinnamon stick, fragrant black tea, and tangy apricot accents. The wet aroma has lovely sweetness of honey, baked peach, and tenedam/rue herbs that are both fragrant and sweet. The cup is complex, sweet at its core, with top notes that intensify as the coffee cools. City roast is not too light for this coffee, and produces dynamic fruits that touch on tangy orange, peach, and a hint of cherry drink powder (think Kool Aid). Cup sweetness helps balance out the brighter high tones, along with a shade of rustic cocoa in the background. Working through the cup, our list of top notes included apricot preserves, peach tea, and complex masala spice mix. Don’t be afraid to go dark with this one too. My Full City+ roast wasn’t too bittersweet at all, and offered a dried mango note, and dark berry chocolate truffles. Dark roasts make an excellent Ethiopian espresso.”