"Upon grounding, it has a very rich passion fruit jam, mango juice and berry aroma. At first sip, its dominated by the fresh cut passion fruit and passion fruit jam flavour. It is accompanied by hints of mango, strawberry and mild/subtle winey aroma. It finish of with aroma of raisin, resulting a strong and robust flavour. Very intoxicating cup. "

We have something truly special here—a coffee that undergoes a unique fermentation process involving the combination of two types of sugar, specifically fructose. One source of fructose is the passion fruit, locally known as Hopi, while the other sugar comes directly from the coffee cherry itself. This fermentation process is executed using Saccharomyces Cerevisiae as the starter.

The story of Negele Gorbitu began back in 1996, following the end of the Derg Era. It commenced with just 64 founding members, pooling together a seed capital of USD 15 or its equivalent in 400 birr. These individuals joined hands to establish the Negele Gorbitu Cooperative, strategically located on the border of Oromia and Yirgacheffe. Fast forward to today, the cooperative boasts a membership of 500 individuals, with a remarkable 450 of them being certified organic farmers.

Each of these smallholders tends to an average of 4 hectares of land. The coffee grown at Negele Gorbitu thrives at altitudes ranging from 2000 to 2200 meters above sea level. The primary coffee varieties cultivated here are Kurume, Dega, and Walisho, each excelling in delivering high-quality beans within their specific altitude range.

During the harvest season, the members diligently send their ripe coffee cherries to Negele Gorbitu. A meticulous selection process is undertaken, focusing on cherries that exhibit the desired color and ripeness. Before fermentation begins, the cherries are immersed in water to remove any impurities and floaters. High-density cherries are chosen, while low-density ones are discarded. The selected cherries are then placed in a tank. Just before sealing the tank, an inoculant is prepared, consisting of starter yeast and Hopi fruits. This inoculant is mixed with the cherries and sealed within the tank.

After the initial day of fermentation, any remaining oxygen inside the tank is removed using a vacuum pump. The cherries, together with their inoculant, undergo a 5-day fermentation process. The pressure build-up within the tank facilitates the infusion of the inoculant's flavors into the coffee beans. As the process nears completion, the red cherries gradually turn yellow. Following fermentation, the cherries are carefully removed from the tank and dried for a period of 18 days on raised African beds.

Variety : Dega, Wolisho and Kurume
Altituded : 2150 masl
Process : Experimental
Origin : Yirgacheffe