Natural Process Coffee Analysis: Ethiopia Biloya Natural G1

Biloya is a kebele or town in the Woreda of Kochere in the Gedeo Zone. Though Yirgacheffe is a separate Woreda, the commodities exchange in Ethiopia assigns coffee using larger geographic labels decided based on distinct flavor profiles. Therefore, Yirgacheffe is used in this case for our natural process coffee.

The Gedeo zone is named for the indigenous Gedeo People. Recently there have been conflicts between the Gedeo and Oromo people in West Guji. The Oromo people, the majority in Ethiopia, are targeting the Gedeo primarily over ethnic land disputes. In the last year, over 1 million Gedeo People have been displaced from West Guji and Gedeo as a result of the conflicts, more than any other global conflict.

Analyzing this Natural Process Coffee

This is a natural process coffee. In fact, this style of processing consists of picking only ripe cherries and laying them out to dry intact. The coffee must be turned consistently for it to dry evenly and to prevent mold growth. It shined on the cupping table at longer roasting times. Its high density translates to very high acidity in the cup, but lowering the heat application before first crack allows more time for sugars to caramelize and balance its inherent brightness.

The espresso made with this coffee was sweet and complex. We used a 1 to 2.5 ratio with an 18g dose and 45g yield. We wanted a wider ratio in order to better taste the nuance and complexity of this coffee. Our resulting shot was 7.99% TDS meaning we achieved 20% extraction. Ethiopia Natural Biloya would do well as a blend component or on its own. For manual brewing, V60 or Aeropress would highlight this coffees sweetness and acidity nicely.

Ethiopia Biloya Natural is currently Available from Royal NY.