Sidama is a province in the southern part of Ethiopia, and is a larger region that comprises Yirgacheffe town and its surrounding coffeelands. Its name is not as immediately recognizable as Yirgacheffe, but coffees from Sidama are diverse in profile and the highest-quality lots have crisp lemon acidity and lots of clarity.
This coffee is from the Werka Coffee Washing Station in theworedaor village of Nensebo, in the town of Werka. The washing station is used by between 700 and 800 farmers, each of whom grows coffee on an average of 3 hectares of land. The typical farm here is also planted with false banana and corn plants, and Acacia trees for shade. The farms range in altitude from 1900–2050 meters, with average daily temperatures up to about 77° Fahrenheit, with cool evenings of about 60° Fahrenheit.
The washing station produces both washed and natural coffees: The washed lots are fermented underwater for 48 hours before the mucilage is removed; the coffee is dried on raised beds in a windy area, to speed the drying process. The washing water is purified and recycled for other uses.
