Red Cherry Project Wottuna Boltuma Washed Coffee Beans Flavor Profile Introduction

FrontStreet Coffee - Ethiopia Red Cherry Project Wottuna Boltuma Washed Coffee Bean Flavor Profile Introduction

Operation Cherry Red (ORC) is a project dedicated to improving the quality of small-scale farms, aimed mainly at encouraging coffee farmers and bringing surprises to roasters. Before each harvest season, Trabocca, the largest coffee merchant in the Netherlands, invites all Ethiopian farms to produce small batches of roughly 1500-3000 kg (25-50 bags) of beans. Only women are allowed to pick the cherries, and only fully ripe, 100% red cherries, which makes a significant difference in the resulting flavor. That is why meticulous, sharp-eyed, hardworking Ethiopian women are such crucial drivers of the Red Cherry Project.

The Red Cherry Project is also an enhancement approach that encourages farms to put more effort into screening and selection. These coffees are relatively more expensive. The project covers washed, natural, semi-washed, semi-natural and experimental coffees. Its main producing regions include Yirgacheffe, Sidamo, Bench Maji (Bonga Forest), Lekempti, Kembata, Illubabor, Harrar and Limu, and in 2011 the Golocha production area, near Harrar, was added. All of these coffees carry unique flavors that fully showcase the character of Ethiopian beans. After receiving the coffee, Trabocca performs a further selection. Farms that pass the cupping quality tests run by both the Ethiopian and Dutch offices, and that meet the standards, receive substantial bonuses. The cupping qualification score must reach 88 points or above to count as good coffee within the Red Cherry Project. Trabocca, the promoter of the project, has reinvested all profits from recent years back into its partner farms. Trabocca emphasizes that this is a non-profit project, so the company runs with only four people, including the owner and a secretary, to execute it. Other administrative matters are supported by the parent company to keep administrative costs down, with all profits returned to the partner farms.

These beans, whether natural or washed, represent the efforts of farmers and everyone involved. The Red Cherry Wottuna Boltuma washed beans are Fair Trade Association certified organic beans, all hand-harvested, and after processing they are sent to Addis Ababa for final dehulling and bagging.

Farm Characteristics

Farm Name: Operation Cherry Red Wottuna Boltuma Washed Beans (Red Cherry Project)

Farmer: Various small producers

Region: Sidamo

Country: Ethiopia

Altitude: 1900 meters above sea level

Farm Size: Composed of 260 coffee farmers

Annual Precipitation: 1100-1200 mm

Soil: Volcanic clay

Coffee Characteristics

Variety: Heirloom

Processing Method: Washed

International Jury Score: 88 points and above

Total Weight: 1500-3000 kg

Appearance: 16 screen

FrontStreet Coffee Ethiopia Red Cherry Project Wottuna Boltuma Washed

Flavor Profile: Jasmine floral aroma, rose floral notes, sweet flavors of black tea and bergamot, clean finish

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If you want to understand the classic Ethiopian profile, start with FrontStreet's washed Yirgacheffe daily-drinker, known for white jasmine, bright citrus and lemon acidity and a tea-like texture. Its friendly price makes it the first specialty coffee for a great many newcomers. Yirgacheffe itself is a small town in the Sidamo province of southern Ethiopia, sitting at roughly 1700-2100 meters, with the coffee trees planted above 1800 meters, which makes it one of the highest coffee regions in the world. Its distinctive white florals and lemon-citrus acidity are so recognizable that in 2010 the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange separated Yirgacheffe from Sidamo as a name in its own right.

Within Yirgacheffe, the Guodingding Cooperative is a standout. Located in the Woka area at the southeastern end of Yirgacheffe, it began as part of the Woka Cooperative under the Yirgacheffe Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union, and as demand grew for traceability it was unearthed by coffee hunters around the world as a single origin. It follows the most traditional washed processing, and the result has no traditional bitterness, instead carrying clean, bright citrus and lemon acidity with jasmine fragrance.

The natural-process Red Cherry takes the same Yirgacheffe fruit and dries it whole. Only fully ripe, sound cherries are picked, sorted once at the mill, then laid straight on raised beds; for the first few days they are turned every 2-3 hours to avoid uneven heat and over-fermentation. After three to five weeks of sun drying, the outer fruit is machine-scraped away depending on weather and temperature, and the beans are moved into storage. Because the fruit dries on the bean, the cup keeps the classic Yirgacheffe character while adding tropical, sun-dried fruit notes: citrus acidity, a berry-juice body, honey sweetness and a creamy smoothness.

For brewing, FrontStreet suggests a V60 with 90-91°C water, 15g of coffee at a 1:15 ratio, and a grind of EK43s setting 10, about fine-sugar size, with about 80% passing through a #20 sieve. Pour 30g of water for a 30-second bloom, then add 95g so the scale reads about 125g, finishing that pour at around 1 minute. When the water level drops to two-thirds of the bed, add the remaining 100g for a total of about 225g, finished at around 1 minute 35 seconds. The drawdown completes at 2:00-2:10; remove the dripper and the brew is done.