Hambela Cardamom #1
Hambela Cardamom – The perfect Ethiopian Christmas coffee. Long and spicy aftertaste.
Why this coffee stands out?
It is not every day that we come across a coffee with distinctive cardamom flavors.
When processing this washed coffee, cardamom was added, and the result does justice to its name.
Despite the fact that roasters aren’t so fond of infused coffees, this one shows how different coffee processing techniques can produce surprising aromas and new taste experiences.
Aside from that, who doesn’t want cookies or bread with cardamom flavor during the holiday season? Better yet, a coffee with those delicious and warm notes of cardamom in every sip.
Let’s be real. This led to this coffee being the most popular of the month. Roasters have been asking for samples non-stop, as its special feature makes it stand out in their menu, and their clients love it.
How does it taste?
Hambela Cardamom lives up to expectations. A typical delicious Guji, with a nice body, a bright acidity, and a very pleasant surprise, clear cardamom flavour.
It is funky and complex, but very fresh and spicy with a long and smooth aftertaste.
It has an 87.5 score
What do people say about this coffee?
"Well balanced with well integrated notes of cardamom, giving a soft and smooth cup reminiscent of chai tea. Coffee shines through with a super juicy acidity."
Espen Stokkan-Smith
"I am not a fan at all of infused coffees, they usually tend to taste like toilet refreshner due to this chemical/non-integrated profile.
So for this coffee I was also highly skeptical, luckily it was not warranted - I love this coffee, it is DEFINITELY cardamom, but well-integrated, balanced and adds something to the already good coffee.
Probably the most xmassy coffee I've ever tasted."
Jamie Jongkind
Where does this coffee come from?
This coffee is from the beloved Ethiopia, specifically from Hambela Bedessa Washing Station.
It is located in Hambela Wamena, a well-known part of Guji that emerged from the privatization of coffee in Ethiopia in 2017, and that consistently deliveres expressive and flavour intensive profiles.
It’s exciting to see that they felt adventurous enough to go out for a different approach and produce a batch that turned out to be spectacular. Ethiopian always surprises us with the way they experiment and bring us coffees that we can’t resist.
Other facts about the washing station:
- Harvest started in all the major growing areas of Ethiopia early November.
- Avg farm size: 0.5 – 3 ha
- Cherry yield per tree on average:5 – 6 kg
- The soil type is red clay loam and fertile rich forest.
About the Cardamom
We bought it from another farmer we work with in the west of Ethiopia.
It comes in large pods that are ground up into powder. This powder is added to the fermentation tank, and after fermentation, the product can be further treated as washed or natural coffee. Hambela Cardamom #1 is a spicy washed coffee, which means that the pulp remaining after fermentation has been removed.
How is it processed?
1. Cherries are collected manually and hand sorted later.
2. The cherries are pulped by a traditional Agaarde Discpulper. Skin and fruit pulp are removed before the machine grades the parchment in water as 1st or 2nd quality, determined by density.
3. Wet fermentation for 72 hours. (Cardamom is added to the fermentation tank).
4. Coffees are washed in channels, and graded in water by density. The lower density (lower quality) will float and are removed, leaving only the denser and therefore higher quality beans, which are separated as higher grade lots.
5. After fermentation, soaking takes place for 2 hours.
6. Coffee is then piled up in layers which are 2 cm in height and dried over a 10-day period, then followed by hand sorting for 2-4 hours.
7. After drying, the coffees will be packed in jute bags and stored in the local warehouse onsite, separated by process and grade. This process helps condition the coffee and achieve a more uniform humidity.
If you would like to Hambela Cardamom you can click here.
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