Ethiopia Guji Hambela Carbonic Maceration

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Get ready to treat your taste buds! Our latest Ethiopia Guji Hambela Carbonic Maceration is a flavor explosion, featuring bold hits of blood orange, juicy pomegranate, and a splash of watermelon candy sweetness. This coffee goes through a special process: sealed up in an oxygen-free environment, it develops incredible flavors thanks to some friendly microbial magic. The result? A bright, fruity natural with layers of complex floral and citrusy goodness. Guji coffee brings a whole new level of flavor—think vibrant fruitiness, zesty acidity, and a mouthfeel that’s, well, just wow!

Deri Kidame Washing Station is composed of 181 drying beds and dozens fermentation tanks for both Anaerobic and Carbonic Maceration processes. While mostly naturals are produced due to the heavy demand for this process and the suitability of the cherries, we are planning to do more fermentations.

Harvest, Post-Harvest:
Kenzu Ahmed is the Station Manager for Deri Kidame Station. The station owned by Tracon Trading is named after the district “Deri Kidame” located in the Wamena district of Hambela. Kenzu has been working in the Hambela area for 3 years now and has been sourcing his coffees very carefully. He only chooses farmers and red cherry suppliers who bring high quality cherry from experience.

Carbonic Maceration:

After careful selection, the coffee cherries are placed in plastic bins to undergo a 96-hour fermentation process. This begins with the injection of CO2, which displaces the oxygen in the bins and creates a controlled, anaerobic environment that’s ideal for carbonic maceration. This environment initiates a series of enzymatic reactions, resulting in a transformation of the mucilage covering each coffee bean. Over time, this mucilage changes in color, developing intense pink and dark hues, which are then absorbed by the parchment layer. This color transformation signals a shift in the coffee’s chemical composition, ultimately enhancing its sweetness, body, and the fruit-forward notes that make it distinctive.

Following this initial phase, the coffee is pulped, removing the outer cherry skin, and the beans are returned to the bins with their own sugar-rich juice. This juice amplifies the fermentation, as naturally occurring microorganisms now begin to actively metabolize the sugar chains in the mucilage. This stage, also anaerobic, is essential for developing the coffee’s fragrant and acidic qualities, contributing to its aromatic complexity. During this period, CO2 is periodically injected to maintain the oxygen-free environment and ensure the continued maceration effect.

In total, the coffee undergoes 96 hours of fermentation, split between the cherry and mucilage stages, before moving to an 18-22 day drying period. This extended process yields coffee with enhanced depth, fruitiness, and aromatic complexity, characteristics highly valued by specialty coffee producers and enthusiasts alike.