Shibru Dube
Impressions: milk chocolate, nougat, nectarine, blueberry
Roast degree: light (3/5)
Country: Ethiopia
Region: Yirgacheffe (Rudo, Chelchele)
Washing Station: Shibru Dube
Variety: Dega, Wolisho, Kurume
Process: Natural
Importer: Crop to Cup
After a months long hiatus, an Ethiopian natural is back on the menu! (also check the Mengeshe Gumi lot)
This lot from the Shibru Dube washing station in Yirgacheffe is almost like a trip down memory lane when you could not NOT taste blueberries in natural coffees from the region.
Shibru is also a smallholder farmer who could not get international market access for his coffee when he started 6 years ago. He used to only sell to the local markets. This marks only the second year since Shibru started exporting coffee. We were amongst his first international clients last year!
When he and Crop to Cup connected, he felt good about the importer's commitment, and this gave him hope, especially as this came during a time when he broke both of his legs in a motorcycle accident. He is now dedicated himself to specialty coffee, and it shows in the cup. He handles most of everything himself, also with the help of his son who lives in the capital.
It feels so good to finally have a natural Ethiopian on the menu! After a couple of months without one, we are very happy to share this lot with you.
This coffee from Yirgacheffe is a beautiful expression of what many people associate with the region: berries and stone fruits.
The blueberry notes just jumped right at us on the very first sips. There was a period in the late 2010s were the blueberry notes were so present in coffees from Yirgacheffe that it became a staple experience for many coffee professionals. This coffee makes us go down memory lane.
The acidity is full of fresh stone fruits, notably nectarine and apricot.
The sweetness and body reminded us of milk chocolate, so pair that with the blueberry notes and Canadians might feel like they are enjoying a liquified version of the famous Brookside chocolate covered blueberries.
With subtle flower and nougat notes in the finish, this is truly a beautiful coffee.
| Method | Dose | Ratio | Time |
| Espresso | 18 g | 2.4:1 | 32-36 sec |
| Espresso with milk | 18g | 2.1:1 | 36-40 sec |
| Americano | 18 g | 2.5:1 | 32-36 sec |
|
V60/Origami |
23 g | 17:1 | 3:30-4:00 min |
|
Chemex & Batch Brew |
40-60 g | 16.5:1 | 5:00-5:30 min |
|
French Press |
18-25 g | 16:1 |
3:30 min steep time |
Farmer and exporter: Shibru Dube
Importer: Crop to Cup
Price we paid: 22.25CAD/kg
(including tariffs of 1.60CAD/kg since this coffee landed in the USA, thanks Donald - excluding shipping from the warehouse to the roastery, ∽ 0.60CAD/kg)
FOB price: 14.80CAD/kg This is the price up until the coffee is on board a ship, ready to export, so basically, the amount of money that will stay at origin.
Farmgate price: Same as FOB. Why? Because Shibru is also the exporter. He is in control of growing, picking, processing, milling and exporting.
Shibru used to sell his coffee on the local market for less money, but also for less work; the local market hasn't the same standards at the export lots.
With Crop to Cup's commitment to paying him a good price for quality coffee that will undergo more steps (such as floating of cherries, defect sorting etc, something not done for the local market) Shibru can now export his coffee for the first time and show the world how good his coffee his.
We hope this is the beginning of a new, long term buying relationship via Crop to Cup.