Once the fermentation is complete, the parchment is emptied into the washing channels, where it is agitated with rakes to remove the last of the fruit layer. This phase also crucially alters the organic acids within the coffee, as sugars and organic acids are transformed, with the best washed coffees maintaining their complex fruit esters. During this fermentation, a microbial de-mucilagation takes place, which allows the outer fruit and pectin layer to break down, making the coffee easier to dry. After that phase is done, the coffee is fermented underwater for approximately 12-36 hours. They are then funneled to the depulper, which removes the fruit from the seeds (beans). The cherries are inspected, and an initial quick round of hand-sorting separates the defective coffees before placing them into the hopper. The washed process begins with coffee cherries delivered to the washing station, both from the primary market or from farmers bringing their coffee directly to the mill. Each coffee we’ve sourced from the Bensa region has been in the surrounding areas of the Shantawene village, Catalyst first ventured into this region by partnering with the Abore site, and have since expanded their territory of purchasing. We have been purchasing coffees from the Bensa region for over four years. We have a long love of the Bensa region and the coffees that are produced there, so it was no surprise that we selected this beautiful washed lot out of many others. We were able to complete our selections for the entire season after two intense days of cupping. Instead of sending samples back and forth, we made the trip to Portland to visit their new lab to cup alongside them. At the outset of this season, we faced the fact that we would go through another season of cupping samples stateside and forgoing a trip to East Africa due to the pandemic. Our friends Zele, Emily, and Michael at Catalyst have continued to source amazing coffees and do so with kindness and generosity. Between the pandemic, a tense election, and the start of the Tigray war, sourcing coffee in Ethiopia has presented unique challenges over the past three seasons. Much like the rest of the coffee world, Ethiopian coffee has had a tumultuous and challenging year. This is one of the first arriving coffee of the 2022 harvest from our friends at Catalyst Coffee.
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