Pomegranate • Açaí • Star Anise

Producer(s) - Tracon & Solemo Kebele Smallholders

Process/Varietal - Anaerobic Natural 74110/74112 & Local Landraces

Elevation - 2100 masl

Region - Guji, Oromia

Imported by La Baia Coffee Supply

This coffee is intensely sweet and complex, truly a unique offering. When warm, we taste notes of Pomegranate juice, Dark Chocolate, and Star Anise. As it cools, you’ll be met with a sweetness of Açaí Berry and Plum wine, with a tart acidity reminiscent of Kumquat and a sweet lingering finish reminding us of a mild Licorice. We’ve had a ton of fun with this coffee, and we hope you do as well.

Once the cherries arrive to Uraga Washing Station, they are submerged in clean water to wash out any possible dirt or contamination that could affect the development of bacteria inside the fermentation tank. Once all cherries are clean and classified by their density, the heaviest cherries are selected and placed inside the fermentation tanks. These tanks were modified to have a one way relief valve added to the top of the tanks along with a hose that is placed inside a water bottle outside of the tank. The hose is placed inside the water bottle allowing the water to act as a barrier so that no oxygen can enter inside the tank and only allowing gasses to exit the tank, creating an environment free of oxygen within the tanks. After fermenting in the tanks for 72 hours, the coffee is then transferred to complete drying on raised drying beds for 17 days where the coffees are routinely raked and rotated by hand to assure consistent exposure and uniform drying during the drying phase.

Producer Profile

Tracon is a family owned business who owns a total of 30 washing stations located around Ethiopia. All experimental coffees are processed at Tracon’s own washing stations. First, local farmers and brokers who collect cherries from the surrounding kebele (village) of Solemo come to the Uraga Washing Station to deliver their cherries. The washing station is managed by Awol Endris and he’s been spearheading and managing these experimental projects for Tracon in Uraga. Awol oversees cherry selection, post harvest production and compensation distribution directly to their local farming partners

Tracon’s reputation is well regarded and are no strangers among COE members globally. In 2021, Tracon chose to participate in Ethiopia’s second ever Cup of Excellence Auction and had 2 different coffees score an impressive placement in the top 20 of all the coffees submitted in the Ethiopia COE Auction. In 2021, a record-breaking number of entries 1,849 for any countrywide Cup of Excellence competition entered the competition to compete that particular year. Placing in the best of top 20 coffees produced in Ethiopia should speak volumes for itself.