SHALE is a washed coffee from the Yirgacheffe region. A clean, well-balanced lot—floral and fruity. With notes reminiscent of juicy plums, sweet grapes, and elderflower, rounded out by a delicate, tea-like hint of bergamot.
Origin & Processing:
This coffee comes from the Shale Washing Station near Worka, where approximately 1,500 smallholder farmers deliver their freshly picked coffee cherries. The coffee is grown on small plots at elevations of 2,300 meters, often in the shade of natural vegetation and without the use of chemical fertilizers or pesticides.
Washed Processing:
After harvest, the cherries are pulped on the same day, then fermented for 8–12 hours in open tanks, and finally washed in water channels to completely remove the mucilage. The coffee is then dried in the sun on elevated drying beds for up to 15 days—depending on the weather and humidity. This classic washed processing method brings clarity and nuance to the cup.
Region & Cultivation:
Yirgacheffe is known for complex, often fruit-forward, multi-layered profiles. Coffee grows here at elevations of 1,600–2,400 m above sea level, partly in shaded conditions. The warm highland climate, with distinct rainy and dry seasons, as well as the dense vegetation, promote slow ripening.
Cultivation is carried out by small-scale farmers using traditional methods, mostly in mixed cropping systems and without the use of chemical fertilizers or pesticides—ideal conditions for exceptional quality.
