DANCHE NATURAL, ETHIOPIA - ESPRESSO / BOLDER FILTER COFFEE

Danche Natural is an espresso with a capital E. It is a very smooth and sweet coffee with flavors reminiscent of candy-like fruitiness, floral notes, and dark chocolate, and it works like a dream with milk!

This coffee comes from high altitudes, grown at elevations of 1950-2000m above sea level at the Danche washing station in the Gedeb region. It is produced by around 400 smallholder farmers who bring their coffee cherries to the Danche washing station. Higher elevations generally correlate with higher quality because the coffee cherries receive plenty of light without being stressed by excessive heat. This is evident in this coffee, as it is exceptionally delicious and easy to enjoy. Although it is grown organically, it cannot be marketed as such due to the roastery's lack of organic certification.

The region boasts rich soil that produces high yields. The small farms of the local farmers are about 1-2 hectares in size, with around 1800-2400 coffee trees per hectare. Each tree produces about 3kg of coffee cherries. After harvesting the ripe cherries, the farmers bring them to the Danche washing station for processing. The coffee is hand-sorted and floated to remove defective cherries that float. It is then dried whole for about 2-3 weeks, during which defective beans are hand-picked. In the natural processing method, the coffee cherry is removed after drying.

The Danche washing station is owned by SNAP Coffee, founded in Addis Ababa in 2008. SNAP Coffee focuses on high-quality specialty coffee and operates three washing stations in Chelelektu in the Gedeb region, as well as two partner stations in Uraga and Nensebo. SNAP Coffee adheres to three main principles: producing consistent specialty coffee, transferring knowledge and skills to the smallholder farmers they work with, and promoting waste recycling. Additionally, they invest in the community by supporting schools, building roads, and more.