How is coffee processed at Ethiopia's Amederaro station?
At the Amederaro processing station in Ethiopia, 2,200 meters above sea level, a coffee bean won both the national and African regional finals of the 2019/20 TOH competition. The bean is processed using anaerobic slow drying. Whole red cherries are harvested, carefully sorted, then slowly fermented without oxygen, producing layered notes of passion fruit, honey, champagne, and white grape.
The cherries are picked at ideal ripeness, so the fruit aroma accumulates and evolves during fermentation. In the cup, passion fruit leads, followed by honey and champagne, with white grape and a faint rose tea note in a juicy body. Fermentation notes stay balanced rather than overdone, and the fruity aftertaste lingers. Similar anaerobic sun-dried lots have appeared in Yirgacheffe.
At the Amederaro processing station in Ethiopia, at an altitude of 2,200 meters, a coffee bean named Amederaro was born, which won the double championship in both the national and African regional finals of the 2019/20 TOH competition. This bean brought by Front Street Coffee is processed using anaerobic slow drying; after harvesting whole red cherries and carefully sorting them, it undergoes slow fermentation in an anaerobic environment, creating rich layers of flavors such as passion fruit, honey, champagne, and white grape, with abundant juiciness and balanced fermentation notes. This article will comprehensively introduce this coffee, which combines strength and refinement, from perspectives including its origin background, processing techniques, flavor performance, and the meaning of the TOH competition.
Front Street Amederaro coffee beans are hailed as the African double champion, and this mythical name comes from its origin—the Amederaro coffee processing station at an altitude of 2,200 meters. The championship title is just one of its many highlights; what is truly praiseworthy is its meticulous processing method and richly layered flavors.
Processing Method: Anaerobic Slow Drying
The coffee cherries are harvested in a fully red state, with near-perfect ripeness, and after meticulous selection by coffee farmers, they are placed in an anaerobic environment for slow fermentation, allowing the full aroma of the fruit to slowly accumulate and evolve over time, even giving rise to unexpected flavor directions. When the ground coffee powder is stirred in hot water, the rich and sweet fruit aroma is released in an especially elegant and smooth manner, making the flavor profile more distinct. Take a sip, and passion fruit forms the top note, followed by honey and champagne notes. In the juicy, full-bodied mouthfeel, it's hard to pinpoint exactly which fruit it is—there's white grape, tropical fruit, and even a hint of elusive rose tea aroma.
Some people worry about over-fermentation, but this Front Street Ethiopian Amederaro is completely free from such concerns. The fermentation notes left by the processing are just right and balanced, with a long fruity aftertaste, and the taste is complex yet exceptionally comfortable.
In another well-known production area, Yirgacheffe, anaerobic sun-dried beans have also been introduced in recent years. For example, the recently launched Front Street Woka Cooperative uses a special processing method, and the coffee displays clear floral notes along with mango and lemon tones, soft acidity, a slight fermentation note, and moderate sweetness, making it very suitable for summer drinking.
TOH stands for "AFRICAN TASTE OF HARVEST COFFEE COMPETITION," founded by the African Fine Coffees Association (AFCA) to promote the improvement of local coffee quality. It is an annual high-end specialty green bean competition, divided into the NATIONAL competition and the REGIONAL African finals, with scoring based on the CQI and SCA green bean cupping standards. The winners of the national competitions represent their countries in the African regional finals.
The so-called "double champion" means winning both the national competition and the African regional finals championship. In the 2019/20 Ethiopian national competition, Front Street Ethiopian Amederaro took first place, and then stood out among the top contenders from various national competitions in the African regional finals, becoming the "double" champion.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
