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Red Rooster Coffee Roaster

Ethiopia Worka Natural

Blind Assessment: Richly sweet, fruit-toned. Raspberry jam, almond butter, rhododendron-like flowers, grappa, cocoa powder in aroma and cup. Sweet-tart structure with fruit-forward acidity; plush, syrupy mouthfeel. The finish consolidates around deep raspberry and cocoa notes, with a heady hint of sweet ferment.

Notes: This coffee tied for the third-highest rating in a cupping of coffees roasted by women for Coffee Review‘s April 2018 tasting report. Yirgacheffe is a coffee region in southern Ethiopia that produces distinctive coffees from traditional varieties of Arabica long grown in the region. This is a “natural” or dry-processed version, meaning the beans were dried inside the fruit, encouraging a flavor profile that is rounder and lower-toned than the more familiar wet-processed floral- and citrus-toned Yirgacheffe profile. This coffee is certified organically grown and Fair Trade certified, meaning it was purchased at a “fair” or economically sustainable price. Worka is one of twenty-two primary cooperatives located in the Gedeo Zone of Southern Ethiopia organized as the Yirgacheffe Farmers Union. Established in 2010, Red Rooster is an organic-certified micro-roaster focusing on socially conscious coffee and high-quality coffee. Visit redroostercoffee.com or call 540-745-7338 for more information.

The Bottom Line: A natural-processed Ethiopia cup with sweetly jammy fruit character, balanced by cocoa suggestions.