Ethiopia, Yirgacheffe, Worka Sakaro, Anaerobic 2024

A balanced boozy red fruit and sweet citrus Ethiopian bursting with subtle complexity, Origin Roast

We Taste: Black Cherry, Blueberry Yogurt, Grape Juice, Demi Sec.

Origin: Ethiopia 

Region: Gedio Zon

Farm/Washing Station/Mill- 400 smallholder farms, Worka Sakaro washing station

Variety: Kumie, Siga, Wilsho (Indigenous Heirloom Cultivars)

Altitude: 2,000-2,300 masl

Process Method: Anaerobic Natural and dried on raised beds for 18 days

Roast level: Origin

Roasting Notes: This year's 2024 Worka anaerobic is more wine forward, the physical aspect of the bean (in green) has a stronger nose of acetic and a much more mottled color.  This seems to me to have been more impacted by the heat generated in the anaerobic fermentation process. The resulting roast has an equally mottled appearance in comparison to the 2023,  the darkest beans seemingly darker than the previous year Worka at the same roast level. This year I had to slow down or be more gentle because of the mottled appearance and also shorten the roast in the mid and dev and drop it at a lower temperature even though it still achieved an overall darker roast color

(2023 roast data) For this roast I charge at Medium high heat with a short soak and medium fuel after soak. I bring the airflow up to my mid airflow around 45 seconds before the Green to Yellow transition. I also lower my fuel by 40% at transition. Oddly I also need to do a Stop and Go(fuel off for a specific time than back on)about a minute after transition. It last’s for 20-30 seconds, whatever is needed to get ROR and 1st Crack time dialed in, and goes back to the fuel level before the stop and go. 30 seconds before 1st Crack the airflow is brought up to high. The ROR at crack is around 18. I roughly go 17 degrees in development in around 1 minute 40 seconds. I turn the fuel off 40 seconds into development to let the roast run on momentum. 

Sourcing Notes: This is a coffee that exclusively comes from Balzac out of South Carolina. I previously knew of this coffee but was unable to source it, as it was unavailable in my area. In 2023 I sourced my first bag of the Worka Sakaro anaerobic and really enjoyed it.  I then received a bag of the 2024 Worka anaerobic. its complexity and uniqueness of cup really separate it from other natural Ethiopia coffee, and it has become a crowd favorite in our lineup. 

Coffee Info/Story: I first ran across the Ethiopia Worka Anaerobic in Nashville at a another roasters coffee shop. They used it for Espresso, and it was a lovely fruity shot. I asked about the coffee and found out about this green coffee that they sourced from Balzac. I had an account with Balzac so I reached out to my importer and asked about sourcing it for the next season. I was roasting for Barista Parlor. Jump ahead to next Worka season and I decided to get two bags to use for the Grand Prix release. But then when I asked to release the bags for BP, I was told that they couldn’t send them to us. It turned out that this coffee can be an exclusive for a roaster in a city. Nashville had a roaster that had this. So I had to at the last minute find a replacement for my Grand Prix plan. Not ideal but it did lock the Worka into my memory of coffee’s that I really wanted to roast. So to make a long story short I’m now in Chattanooga owning my coffee roastery. I’m still using Balzac and it’s Worka season;-) So two years  later I’ve got my two bags of Ethiopia Worka Sakaro Anaerobic. 

It is a lovely red fruit coffee. It has lots of complex cherry notes. Cherry lifesaver to fresh Bing cherry to cherry taffy. The anaerobic qualities are subtle and add to the complexity of the fruity natural flavor. It is very clean with a more Yirgacheffe delicate body than a big Guji creamy  body. The acidity is balanced clean and more soft winey. As the cup cools it has notes of cacao and sweet spice. From Balzac