Amaro Mountains, Ethiopia (photo: chrisphoto.pl)
If you’ve stopped by Cafe Indigo recently, you’ve noticed that we now carry an organic coffee from the Amaro region of Ethiopia. You probably also noticed that it’s priced at $18 per pound. It seems a bit steep, but it’s a special coffee.
Asnakech Thomas
At the source, it’s a unique operation. The Amaro Gayo coffee mill is run by Ethiopia’s only woman exporter/miller, Asnakech Thomas (right), who returned to the region in 2005 with a mission: improve the quality of coffee, and improve the conditions the local community.
Sourcing coffee cherries: Thomas is known for paying a higher price for her coffee cherries, but also for her strict selection process; The mill only purchases the freshest, ripest cherries from local growers. This has a few outcomes: high-end specialty grade coffee, a greater incentive for farmers to produce high-quality cherries and, of course, a higher standard of living for everyone involved.
Raised beds for drying cherries. Image: flickr user ford.andrew
Processing: Cherries are dried on raised beds (similar to the ones pictured on the left). Raised beds are a great way to dry cherries– they allow no contact with the soil, resulting in a much cleaner coffee. They also provide even aeration, in which the dry air can reach the bean from both above and below the beds. Consistency! After drying, mature cherries are sent to Amaro Gayo’s “eco-friendly” pulping machine, which uses far less water than most mills.
From Joseph at Novo Coffee:
A new and ambitious industry player who loves the countryside, Asnakech inspects her drying tables and leads with a fervor never before seen in southern Ethiopia. She pays great prices for the reddest of cherry from surrounding smallholders and employs the smartest of techniques in selecting and drying her cherry. With rare local coffee varieties, her place is a hot bed for some of the most special coffee Ethiopia has seen.
“Spicy Anjou pear flavor and creamy chocolate mouthfeel. Viogner-esque, sweet banana, and cacao fruit in aftertaste. I scored it 94.5. I love it!”
“Wooooooowwwwww! I’m so happy!” she exclaims through the phone.
Me too.
Cup Characteristics: Ridiculously prominent blueberry/blackberry fruit, complex citrus-like acidity, super thick body. Some people can taste chocolate 
in there, too. Come into the shop, try a pour-over, and tell us what you find!
Availability: So far, we’ve only roasted up about half of the three bags that we purchased back in February, so we should have it around through the current season. Amaro Gayo is available at Cafe Indigo in eight-ounce prepacks ($8.50), and sometimes in bulk ($18/lb). At Cultiva, Jon will sell a 5 pound bag for $45. Just as a reminder, Cafe Indigo is open Monday-Saturday 8am-10pm, and Sunday 12pm-10pm. Cultiva (1501 South St.) is open Monday-Saturday 8am-1pm.
Thanks for reading about this fine coffee, happy drinking!
Hand-made stone sign displaying the Amaro Gayo name. Photo courtesy of Ristretto/Perth Coffee Blog @ coffeeblog.tumblr.com
