Israel Degafa, Wush Wush Natural

Israel Degafa is the CEO of Kerchanse Coffee, which owns and operates mills throughout the Guji zone and is the largest exporter of coffee in Ethiopia.  This specific lot is from the washing station in Anasora, at an astonishing elevation of over 7500 feet.  Adjacent to this washing station is where Israel grows specialty grade coffees on his private farm.  The coffee cherries for this lot are Wush-Wush varietal.  This rare varietal is named after the region it was originally found: Wushwush (no space) in southwest Ethiopia, near Jimma and Sidamo.  The varietal is known for having intense candy-like sweetness, boasting tasting notes of blueberries, lavender, and vanilla.  After the cherries are picked, they are fermented for 96 hours and dried for around 21 days. We are receiving this coffee from Samuel Demisse, who was born in Keffa, Ethiopia- the province where coffee originated.  He moved to the US in 2004, and noticed a lack of Ethiopian coffee importers.  He decided to launch Keffa Coffee and has amassed an astonishing resume for specialty coffee including winning 2nd place in the US Cup Tasters Championship in 2011 and 2013, 3rd in 2015 and 2017, and holds the title of being one of the first certified Q-graders in the world.  Additionally, he serves on the Board of Directors at the World Trade Center Institute and Texas A&M University Coffee Research Center. In the cup we get intense tropical sweetness, blueberry, winey fruit notes (sangria), floral hints (lilac), and a super, super sweet finish.  If you love ‘fruit bomb’ coffees, this is absolutely for you!

• COUNTRY: Ethiopia

• REGION: Anasora, Oromia

• ELEVATION: 7500 ft

• PROCESS: Natural

• VARIETALS: Wush Wush

• This coffee is best 14-35 days after it was roasted.