Gigesa (also spelled Jigesa and pronounced “Jee-gee-sa”) is a privately-owned washing station located in the Shakisso woreda (administrative district) in Ethiopia’s Guji zone. It is named after the kebele (local village) of Gigesa. The washing station is one of twenty owned and managed by Testi Coffee, a family-owned company founded by Mr Faysel A. Yonis.

Sitting at 1,740m above sea level, Gigesa produces exceptional washed and natural processed lots. The washing station was established in 2014 and currently employs between 250 and 260 seasonal workers—around 200 of them are women who hand-sort parchment, while the remaining 50 work at the on-site dry mill. During harvest, freshly picked coffee cherries are delivered daily by some 500 independent outgrowers from the nearby kebele of Dambi Uddo and collection points in Wese and Suke.

The majority of the families that contribute to this lot farm organically on tiny plots of land, which average just 2–5 hectares in size. Coffee is their main cash crop and grows alongside food crops of corn, grain and bananas, under the shade of native Birbira, Wanza, and Acacia trees. The average elevation of the farms in this region is very high – around 1,800–2,050m above sea level – and this, combined region’s cool temperatures (which range between 15-20°C) is ideal for the slow ripening of coffee cherries, leading to denser beans and a sweeter, more complex cup profile.

This coffee lot was produced as part of Testi’s quality improvement initiative, Premium Cherry Selection (PCS). Launched in 2018, the Premium Cherry Selection program ensures that best practices are used for growing, harvesting and processing the coffee cherry. Through the program, Testi pays a premium to farmers who pick and deliver only the ripest cherries from their farms. Coffees produced as part of the program represent the highest quality and cleanest cup profile available from the washing station and broader region. Head here to learn more about Testi Coffee’s work in Ethiopia.

VARIETY

This coffee is mostly made up of local landrace varieties Kurume and Wolisho.

For many years, most Ethiopian coffees have been described as being a mix of cultivated and wild varieties, referred to as “heirloom varieties.” This is an all-encompassing term used by many actors in the coffee industry to categorise Ethiopian coffee varieties that are from native forest origins. Whilst “heirloom” describes many of the varieties found in Ethiopia, it is also a bit simplistic and does not acknowledge the varieties that are already locally recognised and purposely cultivated or those that have been specifically developed and widely distributed by the Jimma Agricultural Research Centre (JARC).

Sidama is home to many landrace varieties that were originally selected from the forest and have been propagated successfully for decades. There are five popular varieties named after indigenous trees in the area: Bedessa, Kurume, Mique, Sawe, and Wolisho. There is little documentation on the history of these varieties, and it is hard to know if they represent a single plant or a wider group of varieties; however, it is widely accepted that they play a major role in the quality and floral flavour profile of the coffee from this region. JARC varieties were developed using “mother trees” from Ethiopia’s coffee forests and are now grown for disease and pest resistance, as well as exceptional cup profile, and are released by number. For example, 74110, 74112 and 74116 are all widely propagated in the Sidama growing region.

PROCESSING

This coffee has been processed using the washed method, using clean water from the Mormora and Bishan Dimo rivers. It is classified as Grade 1, the highest quality classification for Ethiopian coffees, indicating a great deal of effort has been put into the selection and grading during processing.

Each day, carefully hand-picked coffee cherries are delivered to the Gigesa washing station and are meticulously sorted by hand and in a flotation tank prior to processing to remove unripe, overripe, or damaged fruit in order to enhance the quality and sweetness of the cup.

After sorting, the coffee cherries are then pulped within six to eight hours of harvesting to remove the fruit and skin and graded by weight; heavier beans are of superior quality and deliver a sweeter cup. After grading, the parchment-covered coffee is soaked in tanks of clean water for 36–48 hours to remove the mucilage (sticky fruit pulp) by allowing it to ferment and detach from the coffee.

The coffee is then re-washed and graded again by density in washing channels and soaked in clean water for 12 hours. While doing this, mill workers keep a close eye on the clarity of the water being used (and replacing it with fresh water as necessary), and check the parchment manually of feel how much mucilage is left on the beans. As the feeling of the washing changes, and millworkers notice slightly more traction, parchment is just about ready to be dried.

The coffee is then dried on raised African drying beds and under a parabolic shade net for 5-7 days, depending on weather conditions. Whilst drying, the coffee is carefully hand-sorted, and any defects are removed. It is also turned regularly to ensure that it dries evenly and consistently. Once the coffee is dry and has reached its desired humidity, it is rested in parchment until it is ready for milling and export.

All the images and information about this coffee and its producers have been kindly shared by the importer, Melbourne Coffee Merchants, and edited by us, Sample Coffee (unless linked to or credited otherwise).

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