Ethiopia
Arsosala
Special Preparation

Washed process Typica, Bourbon

Flavour: mandarin, peach, jasmine

Body: Acidity:

Arsosala is a washing station founded in 2015 that currently serves about 1,200 smallholder producers in the Urga woreda of Guji.

According to the washing station manager, most of the coffee delivered to the factory is Bourbon: While Typica and Bourbon are two varieties better-known in Central and South America, the same terms are used colloquially in Ethiopia to describe certain coffee-berry-disease-resistant cultivars. The Ethiopian “Bourbon” and “Typica” varieties are typically genetically removed from the ones found elsewhere around the world.

For this special preparation, the coffee is given a very thorough initial inspection and hand-sorting in order to ensure that only the ripest cherries make it into the lot. The seeds continue to be hand-sorted throughout the entire process and drying.

Washed lots at this washing station are delivered ripe, depulped the same day, fermented overnight, and washed before being soaked/fermented underwater for 8–16 hours. Then they are washed again. The total fermentation time is between 48–72 hours.

The coffee is dried on raised beds for 9–12 days.

Coffees in Ethiopia are typically traceable to the washing station level, where smallholder farmers—many of whom own less than ½ hectare of land, and as little as 1/8 hectare on average—deliver cherry by weight to receive payment at a market rate. The coffee is sorted and processed into lots without retaining information about whose coffee harvest is in which bag or which lot.

Sourcing and ingredients

100% Typica, Bourbon coffee beans, provided by Cafe Imports and roasted by us on Gadigal land / Sydney.

Country grade: Unknown ?

Packaging

Bag: ABA Certified home compostable
Label: Recyclable
Valve (on bags larger than 250g): General waste
Coffee ordered online is shipped in a recyclable cardboard box

Brewing this coffee

We recommend brewing this coffee 15–49 days post-roast. If pre-ground, brew as soon as possible. Our advice on storing coffee.

1:3
dose:yield
ratio

To brew on espresso, we recommend using 20g of beans (dose) to get 60g of espresso out (yield), during 24-28 seconds.

g dose

g yield

View the how to brew espresso (single origin) guide.

1:16.7
beans:water
ratio

To brew in infusion/fed brewers (V60, Chemex) use a ratio of 1:16.7 ratio of beans:water.

g beans

g water

View full recipes and videos in our brewguides

1:14.3
beans:water
ratio

To brew in immersion brewers (plunger, AeroPress, Kalita, batch brewer) we recommend using a 1:14.3 ratio of beans:water

g beans

g water

View full recipes and videos in our brewguides

1:12
beans:water
ratio

To brew as cold brew we recommend using a 1:12 ratio of beans:water

g beans

g water

View full recipes and videos in our brewguides

Producer: 1200 Smallholders
Country: Ethiopia
Region: Guji
Altitude: 1800m above sea level
Varietals: Typica, Bourbon
Process: washed
Body: Light
Acidity: Refined
Tasting notes: Mandarin, peach, jasmine
Roast style: Omni (filter + espresso)

Varietals

Bourbon varietal

A natural mutation of the Typica varietal, Bourbon is named after Reunion Island (then known as Il Bourbon) where the French cultivated the Typica plants which naturally mutated.

Typica varietal

Considered to be one of the ‘genus’ varietals from which all other varietals have mutated from

The location

Coffee from Ethiopia

Seen as the birthplace of domesticated coffee, there are not many more exciting times at the Sample warehouse as when our fresh Ethiopian lots arrive. Legend says it’s our favourite origin…

The Yirgacheffe region of Ethiopia

Unique for its floral and highly aromatic coffees. Some our of very favourite and memorable Ethiopian coffees have emerged from this legendary region.

Farm processes

Washed process

Machines are used to remove the flesh from the coffee cherry before being fermented in water, washed again, and finally sun dried. This process tends to result in more distinct, cleaner flavours.