duck-rabbit Ethiopia Korate – Korate is a natural-only processing station in West Guji, Ethiopia. They operate in the mountains and have deliveries from 116 local smallholding farmers. The output from this processing station is small, but is known to be excellent with quality control (great standards IMO). This coffee is produced at elevations 1900-2100 MASL, and as mentioned, this coffee is a natural as is all of the coffee from Korate. After cherries are delivered, any visual defects are thrown out and then the rest of the ripe cherries are floated in tanks to further reduce unripe cherries. After this, the whole cherry is sent to dry for 3-4 weeks to develop that sweet fruit flavor. This coffee definitely has SOME funk but overall a clean and clarified natural Ethiopia. I tasted strawberry, some cotton candy, chocolate blueberries, with an orange dreamsicle vibe. I brewed this with a 16.3:1 ratio and ground it 8 clicks coarser than my typical starting point (2 clicks coarser than my typical Ethiopia grind!). I poured a 40 second bloom, followed by two pulses spaced out by 45 seconds. I poured these fairly quickly with smaller circles to increase flow. My second pour finished at 1:50 for a 2:55 brew time.
duck-rabbit Sumatra Bebesen, Aceh – This is a wet-hulled coffee from North Sumatra. Generally, when I think of a wet-hulled Sumatra, I am reminded of the first Sumatran coffees I have had. Truthfully, wasn’t a fan. Super earthy, leafy coffees that go great in a blend. However, we now live in 2023, which means too many coffees are TOO good! This comes from the town of Bebesen, produced by Aulia. Aulia is a coffee “collector” and, as common in this region, the collector buys partially processed cherries from local growers. Typically the cherry is either in the husk after fruit is removed, or in full cherry. Aulia buys all coffee in full cherry still so they are able to process the cherries as they wish. The coffee is grown at 1300-1600 MASL and is a blend of local native varietals. This cup was just as I had hoped. Any presence of dirt or forest floor is absent. I taste clove, clementine, cardamom, some sweet tobacco, and cherry. The most excited note was the clementine for me that popped out after letting the brew cool to nearly room temperature. The cup was extremely pleasant from fresh to luke-warm finish. I brewed this with a 16.5:1 ratio and ground it one click finer than my typical starting point. I let this bloom for a full 50 seconds, and then poured four pulses spaced out by 30 seconds. My last pour finished at 2:40 for a 3:25 total brew time.
SEY Colombia Diana Sofia Jimenez – This coffee is a sort of remaining lot blend from producer Diana Sofia Jimenez in the southern end of the Huila department. This is a newer producer for SEY, but anyone producing a micro-lot like this one that SEY can put their trust a roaster in, is a friend of ours. The remaining lots were so small that they had to be blended together to create a true volume of coffee. These lots were Caturra, Chiroso, and Gesha. Caturra is always a classic from Huila, but the remaining two varietals were what caught my attention. For a field blend, this had some high potential. The cup quality is super dynamic and while tough to nail down exact tasting notes, I got a main hit of Pumpkin Pie, Lemon, with a Persimmon finish. I ground this one click coarser than my typical grind setting for a Colombia and brewed this with a 15.8:1 ratio. The bloom did not need more than 40 seconds. I then poured three pulses spaced out by 35 seconds, finishing my third pour at 2:10 for a 3:05 total brew time.
Sey Ethiopia Yaye Chericho – This one came to me last minute as an option for the December subscription. It is a super high elevation washed Ethiopia Heirloom coming very late in the season. Yaye Chericho is one of the highest elevation washing stations in the world, and a region (Arbegona) that SEY has invested in over the last few years to build better infrastructure and in turn, better coffee. This lot is one of the first few lots that have come out of the washing station and the excitement has been no joke. I tasted Kalamansi, Lilac, Papaya, with a very bright profile. I brewed this with a 16:1 ratio and ground it five clicks coarser than my typical starting point. I poured a 45-50 second bloom and then poured two pulses spaced out by 45 seconds, finishing at 2:00 for a 2:45 brew time.
Stimulus Coffee Club 