Lychee & Guava Harvest: January 2020Country: EthiopiaProducer: Raro washing station  Region: GujiProcess: WashedVariety: HeirloomAltitude: 2,000 - 2,400 masl Uraga is the name of the greater area where this coffee was grown, and Raro refers to the washing station where it was processed. With lots of new plantings in the area, there has been significant improvements in quality from Guji over the last few years, and we love the coffees from Uraga for their distinctive tropical flavours.  The Raro washing station is located at a whopping 2000 masl and the surrounding farms are at even higher altitudes! Due to the cooler temperatures, the coffee here matures slowly, and unlike other regions of Ethiopia, picking often continues right into February.  All coffee here is picked by hand and during harvest, over 430 smallholder farmers deliver their cherries to the station for processing. The average farm size is 2-3 hectares and most of the coffees are organic by default. On delivery, farmers are paid premiums for higher quality cherries and most are registered for a second payment after the coffee is sold. Even though Uraga is a relatively new washing station, the management here is very strong and the team invests a lot of time and effort into improving their processing techniques. Last year we roasted this coffee for espresso, but with a slightly slimmer body and an unusual acidity, we decided to reserve this year's crop for filter. With notes of lychee and guava, this coffee is intensely tropical and we think quite unique!