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Over 200 Cooperatives from the six Ethiopian cooperative unions submitted samples of small, 20-bag lots in both washed and unwashed categories. The pre-selection phase whittled the samples down to 126 coffees to be evaluated by the international jury which included representatives from Japan, Holland, France, the U.S., and, of course, Ethiopia. In the end, 14 washed lots and 12 natural process coffees were approved for sale in a subsequent internet auction handled by the SCAA. Of particular interest were the phenomenal natural lots from the Sidama, Yirgacheffe, and Jimma regions which exhibited tantalizing variations of refined fruit and floral qualities, extraordinary balance, and cup mouthfeel that ranged from silky to creamy.
There had been unprecedented effort on the part of the farmers to produce newly refined dry (natural) process coffees for the competition. From the perfect ripeness of every cherry and the use of raised drying racks to the guarding of the coffee from the elements during its long drying time; this attention to detail resulted in flavors previously unknown to many in the international jury. The southern Ethiopian coffees from the Sidama and Yirgacheffe regions, for example, often exhibited the wonderfully intense floral notes often associated with the country’s best washed coffees. But then there were apricots, raspberry, sweet melon, clove, vanilla, and bergamot – to name just a handful of attributes recorded by the cuppers. The green coffee preparation was remarkably even and defect-free for most of the best lots in this category.
Many winning cooperatives were visited in the days following the competition. Jury members had become friends throughout the intensive week of cupping. They then departed to make friends with the farmers who had done incredible work in producing the competition-winning lots. In discussions with farmers, jurors learned of the difficulties – lack of sufficient drinking water, electricity, nearby medical services, low coffee prices – for the Ethiopian coffee producer. In spite of their limitations, the farmers showed off impeccable coffee nurseries, pristine and ecologically balanced coffee farms, well-kept processing facilities, and a general willingness to work for the quality that had been so evident in the cups the jury had sampled.
After sampling the winning lots, buyers around the world sounded their approval of the quality produced by spending $187,809 on the lots included in the ECAFE auction. Unheard of premiums for Ethiopian coffee were paid, and proceeds were returned to the farmer cooperative members. Winning buyers from the U.S., Japan, and Holland paid an average of $3.22 per pound.
[ view 2005 auction results ]
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