Ethiopia Limu Region | What are the Flavors of Limu Kossa Washed Local Heirloom Varietals?

Ethiopia Limu Kossa | The Flavor of Washed Ethiopian Heirloom

Finding a genuine coffee farm in Ethiopia is an extremely rare thing. Gidey Berhe Retta, however, owns one in Limu Kossa. Gidey's farm spans 350 hectares at an altitude of 1,840-2,130 meters. The land where the coffee grows was originally dense wild forest. It was carefully prepared and planted, yet among the native trees the profound stillness and solitude of the forest still lingers. During harvest, 400 seasonal workers are hired to pick and sort cherries on the farm. At peak season, the processing plant handles roughly 20,000 kilograms of cherries a day. For a coffee farm, "Limu Kossa Agro Industry PLC" is not a very appealing name, so with Gidey's permission, green coffee suppliers named his coffee after him.

Limu coffee is renowned for its aromatic, wine-like flavor and is highly popular in Europe and America. With good acidity and body, washed Limu is also a favorite in the specialty coffee world. The beans are medium-sized, greenish-blue and mostly round.

The floral notes, fruit flavors and tea-like aftertaste produced by washed processing are often its most appealing qualities. Ethiopia introduced wet processing in 1970 and was home to the first washing channels. Washing can be understood as fermenting to remove the hull, followed by direct drying. It demands heavy investment in processes and equipment, yet investors' resolve never wavered, because the method can produce traditional wine-like flavors and lemon-floral notes. Thanks to that investment, the design of washing channels was steadily improved and standardized. With professional techniques, consistently high-quality Yirgacheffe gradually entered the international market as a specialty coffee, winning over many enthusiasts.

Coffee Details

Variety: Ethiopian Heirloom

Region: Limu Kossa, Oromia

Farm: Limu Kossa Agro Industry PLC

Farm Owner: Gidey Berhe Retta

Altitude: 1840-2130 meters

Processing Method: Washed

Flavor: Citrus, cantaloupe, caramel

FrontStreet Coffee's Recommended Brewing Method

Dripper: Hario V60

Water Temperature: 90°C

Grind Size: Fuji Royal grinder setting 3.5

Brewing Method: 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio, 15g of coffee grounds. First infusion with 25g of water for a 25-second bloom. Second infusion up to 120g, then pause and wait until the water level in the coffee bed drops by half before continuing. Slowly pour until reaching 225g total. Extraction time approximately 2:00.

Analysis: A three-stage pour clearly defines the front, middle and back-end flavors of the coffee. Because the V60 has many ridges and drains quickly, pausing the pour can extend the extraction time.

Flavor: Nut and toast aromas, apricot, caramel, cane sugar sweetness, a maple syrup-like sweetness, a solid body, cocoa and a chocolate aftertaste.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If the clean, wine-like character of washed Ethiopian coffee is what you enjoy, FrontStreet Coffee's washed Yirgacheffe daily bean is a natural companion to this Limu Kossa. It is built around white jasmine, bright citrus and lemon acidity with a light tea-like body, and its approachable price has made it a favorite first step into specialty coffee. For a more single-origin expression, FrontStreet Coffee's Giddingding cooperative coffee comes from the Worka area at the southeastern edge of Yirgacheffe and follows the most traditional washed method.

Because washing strips the fruit away before drying, it lets the bean's own aromatics come through clearly, just as it does in this Limu Kossa. Brew either one as a pour-over at around 90°C to keep the citrus and floral detail intact.