A sweet and rounded cup reminding of blueberry mousse. The coffee has a sweetness of papaya, and acidity of lemon, with flavour notes of clementine and hints of jasmine.

This is the highest grown coffee we have. Ana Sora is located in the famous Guji region in Yirgalem, on no less than 2350 masl. The extreme altitude contributes to the acidity in the coffee, but also the sweetness in the coffee for the longer drying time. Drop Coffee been working for five years with Ana Sora and Israel Degfa. We have seen the procession being built and developed. And off all the process stations we have seen in Ethiopia, Ana Sora is the most advanced and quality-focused one.


About Ana Sora 
Most coffee in Ethiopia comes from cooperatives, not private farms. Working with Israels' private farms makes it easier to maintain our relationships and keep in contact with the producer. 

Seven years ago Isreal started clearing the wild forest to plant coffee plants what is now known as Ana Sora. Isreal and his team started teaching local farmers how to grow coffee, so they could expand their crops, and now there is an abundance of coffee being grown at this high altitude of up to 2350masl. Ana Sora is about 150 hectares of coffee. It is located in Yirgacheffe, in the Goji region. It is far up in the mountains and is difficult to get to by car. The local commune could not finance the building of a bridge on the road up to the farm, so Israel built a bridge and road with his team and paid for it by the company Kerchanshe. That is how Israel is, he fixes things and looks after his staff and production.  

The farm covers 250 hectares of tightly planted coffee plants, with the idea that they could shelter each other from the harsh weather, and all survive, and it seems that they are all thriving today!

Up at 2350masl, it is difficult to take the picked coffee to another processing station, so Isreal took it upon himself to build their own washing station as well as drying beds, all the way up at Ana Sora. This coffee might be the highest processed coffee you ever have. Turo is a river that runs along the side of Ana Sora, and where they get their processing water from.

The cement of the fermentation tanks was drying when we were at Ana Sora in November 2018, and the pulper was being installed, and this year will be the second year we get to enjoy coffee from Ana Sora washed as well as naturally processed, all up at 2350masl!

Sustainability
The surrounding land of Ana Sora is populated by smallholder farmers who are of Oromo ethnicity and speak mainly Oromo. Israel believes in helping those farmers with education in husbandry and financial assistance. He feels this is the only way to produce sustainable coffee in Ethiopia.

The surrounding farmers delivering to Ana Sora is being paid by cash and all of the payments are logged in the books. To pay cash they have a security house on the farm for all of the money.

Nearby Ana Sora there is a school called Yerba Buleye, which works with the farm to teach the children how to work and farm coffee. Israel also supports an orphanage school in the neighbouring village.

Installing and building 18 fermentation tanks, steady drying tables and pulping process creates a lot of work for people in the Ana Sora area. All of the workers are registered and covered by the rainforest certification. 
 

The FOB price for this coffee was 3,4 USD per pound.

The natural process
Ana Sora is situated alongside the river Turo and the farm is surrounded by forest land, with many springs that are feeding into the Turo. The farm, as of just last year, has a washing station in full production, and are able to process washed coffee upon the mountains as well.

Cherries are hand-sorted from unripe and overripe cherries before they go into floatation tanks, where the cherries are covered with water. Any cherries that float are removed. Whole, ripe cherries are then dried in the sunshine on raised African drying beds, which are laid out on hessian cloths for about 18-30 days depending on the weather conditions. The cherries are covered with plastic or shade nets during the midday heat and at night.

The natural process means that the beans are left to dry in the cherry after it is picked. This is a tricky process to do well, as the beans need to be turned over for a consistent and even drying. If some cherries are not dried it will give a mouldy flavour to the cup as well as over fermented flavours. When it is done well, it gives a sweet cup and a bigger body. In the case of Ana Sora, the natural process is what enhances the blueberry mousse character in the coffee.  

About Israel Degfa
This private farm is owned by Israel Degfa, a second-generation coffee grower from Ethiopia and someone who has become a good friend of ours. We share values and support Israel’s vision of getting people in Ethiopia out of poverty through coffee.

Israel was born on a coffee farm near Sidamo, Yirgalem, and his parents were both in coffee in different ways. His mum sold coffee at the bus station and his dad was a farmer. This is where he found his love for coffee. He studied primary school in Yiralem and went to high school and college in Addis Abeba. 

In 2013 Israel founded the company by Kerchanshe trading company that is named after the nearest town, Kerchanste town (fondly referred to as Kercha). Today he has about 21 washing stations and a few dry-mills. Add to that, the guy is 32 years old and only had the business for 6 years. 

Israel visited us the first year in 2015. Before we were working together, he was the one looking after me, Joanna, when I got sick on a buying trip in Ethiopia, and the rest is history. From that, we have worked together and visited each other every year. Obviously we are a tiny buyer to all of Israels 21 washing stations, but coffee buying for Drop is about relationships and stunning coffee.

With Israel having a private estate it is making it easy to build a close relationship, but also as we share many ideas about sustainability. To say the least, Israel is standing up for the local society and sustainable income for the farmers. I have a trust to Israel and his working model and am extraordinarily proud to work with him. 

Ana Sora Natural

We at Drop Coffee are dedicated to really tasty and sustainably produced coffee, we visit all producers we buy coffee from. We are roasting the coffee carefully with complete focus on the sweetness and vibrancy of each unique coffee, always striving for a clarity in the coffee, without ashy roast flavours.
We are shipping coffee straight from our roastery every day, worldwide!

Ana Sora Natural

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Ana Sora Natural

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