Bergamot Jam - Naturally Processed, Carbonic Maceration - Ethiopia

ALTITUDE: 1750 masl
VARIETIES: Wush Wush
ACIDITY: Soft citric acidity, some stone fruit too
ROAST LEVEL: Light
TEXTURE: Jammy, rounded
AFTERTASTE: Honeyed, syrupy

This exceptional coffee features wonderful clarity and a vibrant aroma. It arrives with us from Bonga, in the north-east of Jimma, within Ethiopia’s south-western region Keffa. It is the first Wush Wush variety we have featured, cultivated and harvested at 1750 masl altitude.

The processing of this coffee is in the category of a natural, but utilises a wine method called carbonic maceration to amplify the jamminess and soften the profile. The whole cherries are placed in a sealed container filled with carbon dioxide. As a result, naturally present yeasts on the coffee cherry skin do not easily access sugars inside the cherry. So, in the mucilage a different type of fermentation begins. Enzymes break down sugars and compounds, creating carbon dioxide and alcohol. This slows down the oxidation. 

Producers using this method have control of many variables including temperature, pressure, fermentation duration, and even influence the microbial activity within the coffee. It’s fascinating, and this time leaves us with a beautiful jammy, syrupy feeling in the brewed coffee!