Hits: 56
Beans: Gedeb Beriti, Mixed Heirloom, Washed, Yirgacheffe, Ethiopia.
Shop: The Barn Coffee Roasters, Webshop, Coffee shop, Berlin, Germany.
The Barn Berlin Coffee Roasters – Gedeb Beriti: Background information.
The story behind this coffee starts in 1943 with a woman called Muluemebet Emiru. In 1934, she became Africa’s first female pilot and was rewarded for her career with fertile lands in the Sidamo and Harrar region. These lands were filled with coffee plants and so the passion for coffee was born with this remarkable woman. Her grandchild inherited her passion for coffee, his name: Aman Adinew.
Aman grew up to be a successful businessman in the United States in his early life and moved back to Ethiopia to help modernize the coffee industry. Fast forward to the year 2018 and we find ourselves with a man who owns the famous Hambela Estate and works with 14 peasant cooperation’s in Ethiopia. One of those cooperation’s is the one in Yirgacheffe: Gedeb Beriti, the same cooperation that provided us with this coffee.
The Coffee is grown at an altitude of 2000 meters and that shows in the size of the beans. The beans are a mixed heirloom and have undergone a washed process at the Gedeb Beriti washing station.
The Barn Coffee roasters – Gedeb Beriti: Opening the package.
The beige paper/aluminium package of The Barn Coffee Roasters is a well known sight in the world of coffee. The coffee is kept fresh due to the use of a ziplock and degassing valve, something I always mention and appraise. On the back of the package you can read about the company philosophy in English and German (yay!) and on the front there is a lot of information as well. Apart from the famous ‘Barn’ art, there is a lot to read on the front of the package. The label contains information about the country and region of origin, the name of the coffee, tasting notes, type of beans and of course a roasting date. I was surprised to find an expiration date on the package since most roasters don’t bother printing it. Kudos to The Barn.
When opening the package a soft chocolate scent comes forth. When I take in the scents a little longer I can also detect a floral note and earl grey tea. Eating a bean is no punishment either: it’s crispy and brings a sour spike in the beginning. The sour spike is followed up by a pepper sensation that fades back to a tea like bitterness. I grind the coffee to start brewing and the aroma that reaches my nose is a spicy yet floral scent. Time to brew!
The Barn Coffee Roasters – Gedeb Beriti: The tasting.
I brewed this coffee on the Aeropress, Siphon and Hario V60. The review will contain my findings on the Hario V60 since I felt that the results were best on this coffee. I used a 1:15 ratio with a temperature of 92 degrees Celsius. I did 3 pours and a total brewing time between 2:00 and 2:10 mins. Additional notes of the Aeropress and Siphon will be added below.
During the blooming phase of the brewing I detected a faint orange/mandarin peel entering my nostrils. This aroma faded to the back after I started pouring more water on the coffee. The aroma changed into a mix of sweet vanilla, bergamot and grapes. As the coffee cooled down, the grape aroma got stronger and sweeter.
The Hario V60 brew:
As I take a sip I immediately notice the vanilla tea aspect that is mingled with bergamot. I slurp some oxygen inside my mouth and clearly notice the change in flavours. The vanilla/ Bergamot is accompanied by a warm sprite/7-up like sensation. As I swirl the coffee round in my mouth the sweet grape flavour peaks around the corner as well. The aftertaste of that first sip is sweet. All the flavours can be found as I breathe back through my nose via my closed mouth. As expected this coffee opens up more and more as it cools off. Not only are the aroma’s more fruity but the flavours and sensations are more distinct when you drink the cup. Now the sprite/7-up sensation has a faint lemon touch to it, stimulating the sides of my tongue and saliva glands. There’s also a nice surprise waiting when I swallow the coffee: a hint of milky chocolate that is supported by vanilla. The silky mouthfeel is perfect on the tongue, as well as the medium high citric acidity that turns a little bright at the end.
On the Aeropress and Siphon brews:
On the Aeropress and Siphon the chocolate aftertaste was more distinct, both brews were more floral (mostly vanilla) than fruity at first. The Siphon brew did not have the orange/mandarin peel aroma while brewing, but a sweet grape-jam like aroma.
The Barn Coffee Roasters – Gedeb Beriti: The Verdict.
The Gedeb Beriti by The Barn Coffee Roasters is roasted like a Yirgacheffe is supposed to be roasted. Everything that you might expect is there: the floral and fruity notes are perfectly balanced. There is a Sprite/7-up sensation and flavour that fits this combination perfectly. It will stimulate the tongue as the coffee cools down and gives off a hint of lemon. The chocolate flavour in the aftertaste appears when the coffee cools off more. It forces you to savour the brew instead of gulping it down all at once! This is my second review of The Barn and so far I am really impressed!
Interested in this coffee? Click on the link to go directly to the webpage of The Barn.