ADORATION THROUGH ANNIHILATION, Ethiopia

Strawberry, Dark Cherry, Milk Chocolate, Bergamot

Uraga Gomoro rests on a ridge above Dilla, reached by a descent so steep the locals call it the African massage. This is garden coffee in its oldest form, grown in the small backyard plots of smallholders across the Guji zone and carried by hand to the station, where each day's lots are pooled, pulped, fermented and dried on raised beds.

Uraga is the highest of Guji's districts, its farms set high on the eastern escarpment. The air holds cool, the cherry ripens slowly, and the sugars gather. Deep volcanic loam and a long seasonal rain do the rest.

The trees grow half wild, left to adapt to their own ground, so a single lot draws on a tangle of native varieties bound into one coherent cup. They are recorded simply as Heirloom, the indigenous landrace of the birthplace of arabica. By the time the cherry reaches the station the lineages are indistinguishable. The lot is defined by what is in the cup.

This lot is nitrogen washed. The ferment is flooded with nitrogen to displace oxygen, holding the process clean and controlled. Stripping the oxygen guards against oxidation and lets the ferment be steered by intent rather than chance. On Uraga's high, floral frame, the method sharpens clarity and lifts the weight of the cup.