Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Dumerso Crown Jewel - 12oz. Bag

Intro

This is a traditional double washed coffee that comes to us from Yirgacheffe, Ethiopia and is produced by contributing smallholder farmers to the Dumerso Washing Station.

The flavor profile is exactly what you’d expect from an exceptional Ethiopia Yirgacheffe, including strong floral notes of rose and honeysuckle, citric flavors like lemon and orange, and a delicate honeyed sweetness accompanied by notes of apricot and mild berry.

Origin Information

Grower - Smallholder farmers organized around Dumerso Coffee Station
Cultivar - Indigenous Landraces & Selections
Region - Dumerso Town, Yirgacheffe Woreda, Gedeo Zone, Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Regional State, Ethiopia
Harvest - October 2021 – January 2022
Elevation - 1800 – 1900 masl
Process - Double washed - Coffee is depulped, fermented, soaked, and washed before being dried on raised beds

Flavor

Rose, Lemon, Apricot and Honeysuckle

Roast

We roasted this batch of Ethiopia to a full medium roast. Depending on the grind and brewing method, this Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Dumerso Crown Jewel can produce strong floral notes of rose and honeysuckle, citric flavors like lemon and orange, and a delicate honeyed sweetness accompanied by notes of apricot and mild berry.

Brewing

As with most Top-Shelf coffees, we suggest using the pour-over method to maximized the aroma and flavor of this Crown Jewel coffee using a 1:16 coffee to water ratio with the water between 200F and 205F. Once grounds are placed in the filter, pre-soak grounds by covering with water for ~30sec to allow for blooming, then finish with either a steady pour or a couple of short pours to complete the brewing process.

Taste Analysis

By Chris Kornman, Royal Coffee

A true Yirgacheffe in origin, this coffee from the Dumerso washing station does not disappoint in flavor. Coveted washed Grade 1 coffees from the region have long been renowned for their florality, citric vibrance, and elegant sweetness.

This elegant offering stunned us on the cupping table with strong notes of honeysuckle and rose, punctuated by lemon and orange acidity, and distinct hints of sweet berries and apricot in the background. A pervasive honey-like sweetness ties the experience together along with a silky-smooth mouthfeel.

While our analysis here has focused on brewing via filtered drip coffee and as immersion extraction at the cupping table, we’ll be taking this to the espresso bar in coming weeks and serving it up under pressurized extraction. As with other great Ethiopian coffees, ultimately its uncommon effervescence and harmonious balance make for an extraordinary cup no matter how you choose to roast and brew it.

Producer / Source Background

By Charlie Habegger, Royal Coffee

Dumerso is a private washing station located just north of the town of Yirga Chefe, in the heart of the coveted Gedeo Zone, the narrow section of highland plateau, dense with savvy farmers and fiercely competitive processors whose coffee is known the world over as “Yirgacheffe.” The Gedeo region is named after the Gedeo people who are indigenous to this area. As a coffee terroir, Yirgacheffe has for decades been considered a benchmark for beauty and complexity in arabica coffee known for being beguilingly ornate and jasmine-like when fully washed, and seductively punchy and sweet when sundried and hardly requires an introduction.

The Dumerso mill is owned by Hirut Berhanu, a woman with years of experience in coffee processing and logistics, including 5 years with the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (ECX), where she was a member and gained experience in Ethiopia’s grading and export marketplace. Hirut originally acquired the Dumerso station in 2010. Dumerso was originally established in 1998, but it had never been fully operational. Within three years Hirut had the station completely transformed, and 2013 was the first year Dumerso opened for business. The station now employs over 400 individuals during harvest season, 95% of whom are women, as well as a site manager and quality specialist, Abenet Alemu, who is responsible for maintaining the cup quality the area is famous for. Abenet was born and raised in Yirgacheffe, so his knowledge of local coffee systems and traditions is deep. As a result, in addition to his task of optimizing local quality through processing, he has a critical role to play in community relations on behalf of the station.