Aricha

Hailing from the heart of Ethiopia's Yirgacheffe region, the Aricha lot is grown by around 700 smallholder coffee farmers in the Aricha kebele. 

Nestled at elevations ranging from 1900 to 2150 meters above sea level, each harvest season spans from November to January. The coffee varieties— Dega, Wolisho, & Kurume are tended to completely organically in a semi-forest system, meaning the coffee is grown under shade amidst secondary crops like bananas, maize, and other cereals. Not only does semi-forest system provide food, it also improves the root structure on the farms which can protect against erosion. Each farmer has between 0.5 and 2 hectares planted with coffee. 

Aricha is dry-processed, meaning coffee cherries are left intact to dry still in their skin and pulp. The cherries are then carefully laid out on raised beds for a 15-day sun-drenched drying period. After the drying process, the beans undergo a resting period of four weeks.

After the resting period, cherries are sent to the mill for further processing. The reception and processing is handled under the meticulous eye of Henok Admassu, the mill manager. Since late 2021, Henok and his children have been working at this mill with SNAP Coffee in a vertically integrated fashion SNAP Coffee, the exporters of Aricha, are committed to specialty coffee and sustainability. They invest heavily in education for farmers through training in cleaning and processing methods. 

In the cup, we experience tart and sweet notes of raspberry, blood orange, and dark chocolate. From the first sip to the last, Aricha shines with its vibrant acidity, luscious body, and intricate layers of floral, fruity, and chocolatey nuances.