Our newest offering from Ethiopia is called Riripa, named after the community where this coffee is grown and collected in the Nansebo woreda of the West Arsi Zone. Hundreds of producers from around Riripa deliver ripe coffee cherry to a private washing station.

 

At the station, the coffee will be sorted and then depulped, separating the seed from the fruit.  The seeds will be rinsed with water and then left to ferment underwater for 2-3 days.  Once the mucilage of the fruit breaks down completely, the seeds will be rinsed again before being put out to dry on raised beds. On the beds, the coffee will be carefully turned by hand for the better part of two weeks until completely dry. This labor intensive processing is a big part of why these coffees taste the way they do.

 

Riripa has sweet, citric acidity, with a momentary pop of flavor like a lime popsicle, that resolves into a long-lasting sparkle in the finish. There's a floral quality too, especially noticeable when the coffee is still hot, that is reminiscent of jasmine tea.  Riripa is an elegant coffee and we've tried to roast it in a way that allows for these nuances to come through while still tasting like a coffee that you'll recognize from Highwire.