Halo Beriti Washing Station was established in 2014 and serves 750 smallholder producers, who deliver their coffee in cherry form. This particular lot is part of a "special preparation" in which hand-sorting was done repeatedly throughout the receiving and drying process, ensuring that only perfect coffees made it into the bags.
Coffees in Ethiopia are typically grown on very small plots of land by farmers who also grow other crops. The majority of smallholders will deliver their coffee in cherry to a nearby washing station or central processing unit, where their coffee will be sorted, weighed, and paid for or given a receipt. Coffee is then processed, usually washed or natural, by the washing station and dried on raised beds.
The washing stations serve as many as several hundred to sometimes a thousand or more producers, who deliver cherry throughout the harvest season: The blending of these cherries into day lots makes it virtually impossible under normal circumstances to know precisely whose coffee winds up in which bags on what day, making traceability to the producer difficult.
Typically farmers in this region don't have access to and therefore do not utilize fertilizers or pesticides in the production of coffee.
Washed Processed Coffee In Ethiopia
The process of producing washed coffees in Ethiopia will vary slightly from washing station to washing station, but generally speaking the coffee is picked ripe and depulped the same day. There is usually a fermentation period of 8–12 hours in open-air tanks, then washed in water channels to remove the mucilage. The coffee seeds will be spread on raised beds to dry for 5–15 days, depending on the weather.
Ethiopia Coffee Quality Grading
Ethiopia coffee quality grading is based on the combined result of physical qualities and cup qualities, including altitude, imperfections, and flavor. Grades range from 1 (high) to 9 (low), with grades 1 and 2 considered specialty. Guji distinguishes itself from Yirgacheffe or Sidama profiles with complex yet balanced cups that work beautifully as espresso or filter brews. The exceptional cup profile of this Grade 1 Guji natural is the result of strong growing, harvesting, sorting and processing practices.
Ethiopian Coffee
Ethiopia, the homeland of Arabica coffee, might only produce 3-4% of the world’s coffee supply, but the variety of character that comes from this origin is astounding. Thousands of different landrace varieties still grow wild in Ethiopia’s mountainous forests.
Ethiopian coffee beans are celebrated for their bright fruit and floral flavors, expressed with exceptional acidity and sweetness. Out of the many coffee-growing districts in the country, a few stand out from the crowd with their highly distinctive cup profiles, like Yirgacheffe, Sidama, and Guji.
Country: Ethiopia
Region: Yirgacheffe
Farm: Halo Beriti Washing Station
Elevation: 2100-2300 MASL
Variety: Heirloom varieties
Processing: washed
Tasting notes: Sweet with lots of ripe citrus, bright with fresh apricot, and perfumey with fresh jasmine.
Website orders are roasted and packed every Monday and picked up Tuesday by USPS for delivery. As we only roast exactly as much of each coffee as we have known orders for, please be sure and place your order no later than 10 AM (PST) on Monday for fulfillment that week. Orders that come in later than that may not be fulfilled until the following week.
Here is a quick guide to what our shipping rates are based on the quantity you order:
Orders weighing 0 - 7.99 Pounds ship for $8.00.
Orders weighing 8 Pounds or more ship for Free!
(If you live in the Seattle area and would like to know where you can find Velton's Coffee locally, check out our handy guide!)
Scroll down to see all current available coffees. To view or purchase click on the images below.