Union Roasted Coffee Yayu Forest Ethiopia Wild Coffee - Bean

Wild Arabica Coffee
A beautifully bright coffee from the farmers of the last remaining wild coffee forest - Yayu.

More about this coffee:
The Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere in Ethiopia is one of the last and most important remaining mountain forest fragments for the preservation of wild populations of Arabica Coffee (Coffea arabica), in the world. Union has worked with the Darwin Institute and Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, in the area since 2015 to improve the quality of coffee and therefore income for farmers, enabling preservation and study of this unique biosphere.
As an espresso, enjoy soft citrus acidity upfront, syrupy body, and notes of marzipan and dark chocolate. With a long lasting bourbon biscuit aftertaste. Brewed as filter the coffee has a tea-like quality and feels light on the tongue. It opens on a mild citrus-like acidity, displays flavours reminiscent of kumquat, sweet shortcrust pastry and brown sugar, and finishes on bittersweet notes of roasted cocoa beans.
The coffee from Yayu, Ethiopia has been extremely well received and although Union's purchase volumes increase each year, there is limited amount of the high-quality level Union purchases. To enable Union to have Yayu available throughout the year, Union may sometimes include a small percentage of beans, up to 10%, sourced from the Sidama region in Ethiopia, where Union has developed long-term relationships.
Union is working with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, a global service provider in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development. GIZ supports Germany in their partnership with the Ethiopian Government to provide the farmers in Yayu the assistance they need to increase the volume of coffee they export. Union plans to return its Yayu coffee to 100% from Yayu area as soon as possible

Varietals:
Heirloom

Yayu Wild Forest, Ethiopia:
The Yayu Wild Forest is one of the last and most important remaining mountain forest fragments for the preservation of wild Arabica Coffee in the world. This natural landscape, high up in the hills of Ethiopia, is a hotspot for biodiversity and is a significant conservation zone. A major challenge in the area is preventing the ongoing destruction of the forestland. A common practice for communities is to clear a plot of land from the forest by felling trees, then planting a crop to generate an income.
Back in 2014, Union teamed up with Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Ethiopia Coffee Forest Forum and producer partners in Yayu with efforts to create more sustainable livelihoods in coffee farming, in turn, helping protect the natural biosphere. The aim was to create infrastructures and provide training in producing high-quality coffee, so farmers would not have to turn to plant other crops for their income.
The three-year project with Royal Botanic Gardens came to an end in 2018, but the partnership between Union and the Yayu producer partners remains strong, with the Union team visiting 3 to 4 times per year. The Yayu forest co-operatives continue to produce incredible coffee, often being showcased as Union's limited edition microlots.

Flavour category:
chocolate & caramel
High quality coffee has wide ranging, naturally occurring taste notes. The dominant flavour profile in this coffee is Chocolate & Caramel. Brought out by the roasting process – caramelisation happens towards the end of the roast. Generally the darker the roast, the more dominant the chocolate and caramel flavours are.
citrus & floral
High quality coffee has wide ranging, naturally occurring taste notes. The dominant flavour profile in this coffee is Citrus & Floral. Coffees in this category have zesty citrus flavours and the scent of flowers including honeysuckle, jasmin, dandelion and nettles. Often prominent in washed coffees, the traditional processing method in Ethiopia.

Roast:
This coffee is a medium roast. Roast level influences the flavour and body of coffee. Darker roasts are fuller bodied, lighter roasts brighter. A medium roasted coffee bean is medium brown in colour. It retains many of the flavour profiles of the natural bean but also gains some sweetness and body from a longer roast.

Quality score:
84.5
Coffee scoring over 80 on Speciality Coffee Association scale is considered High Quality, Speciality Coffee.

Best brewed as:
This coffee is best brewed as a cafetiere (French press).
This coffee is best brewed as an espresso (coffee shop type machine or a bean to cup).
This coffee is best brewed as a filter (cafetiere, pour over, aeropress, drip, etc.).
All Union's coffees can be brewed using any method, but this is Union's recommendation for a method which suits the coffee particularly well.

Processing method:
This coffee was processed using the washed method.
Post-harvest processing influences the taste profile. Washed coffees are brighter, naturally processed are sweeter and honey processed are somewhere in between.