Yirgacheffe is one of the most famous areas for coffee, and rightly so. Among its gems is the Ethiopia Worka Sakaro, a coffee that stands out due to its unique processing and exceptional flavor profile. This article explores the origins, processing, tasting notes, and the overall experience of savoring this remarkable coffee.
The Origins of Worka Sakaro
Worka Sakaro is a municipality located in a small, high-altitude area in the Gedeb district, close to Yirgacheffe, in southern Ethiopia. It is a remote but impressively industrious area for coffee production, with over half of its 1300 hectares dedicated to coffee cultivation. The Worka Sakaro washing station in the Gedeo Zone works with 400 smallholder farmers who grow their coffee in the shade on steep mountainsides. This lot of heirloom cultivars (Ethiopia being the birthplace of coffee) was grown at an extraordinarily high altitude of 2,000 to 2,200 meters above sea level, where sweeter and more complex flavors develop.
The Anaerobic Natural Process
The magic of Worka Sakaro lies in its processing method. For the anaerobic natural process, the selected fresh cherries are vacuum sealed in stainless steel canisters to ferment for 4-5 days. This creates an environment that is slowly deprived of oxygen and increasingly pressurized by the carbon dioxide emitted during fermentation. The process is carefully monitored.
When the moisture level falls to 30%, the steel canisters are opened, and the cherries are transferred directly to raised African drying beds. They are sundried in thin layers for 15-18 days or until their moisture content is 11%. Natural Anaerobic processing, where the cherries are fermented in oxygen-free bags for 3 to 7 days and then dried on raised beds for 18 more, elevates the fruit flavors to an almost giddy degree.
The Role of Tracon Trading
One of the area's many washing stations is owned and operated by Tracon Trading, an independent coffee company and direct exporter. Tracon's Worka Sakaro station is their largest facility, with 360 drying beds on nearly 5 hectares of land and 596 smallholder producers contributing coffee cherries. Originally built in 2008, many improvements to the station have been made in recent years. The local smallholder farmers carefully harvest their coffee cherries when perfectly ripe and deliver them to the washing station.
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Tracon Trading operates two coffee farms and 30 washing and drying stations across Ethiopia. Operating a variety of small stations in many regions allows the company to save processing time, save transportation costs, reduce C02 emissions, and create jobs in different parts of Ethiopia. Tracon also owns a modern coffee cleaning and storage plant as well as a coffee cupping and quality control lab.
The coffee is transported to Tracon Trading's state-of-the-art coffee cleaning and storage plant in Addis Ababa to be hulled, sorted, and prepared for export. The plant is equipped with modern coffee processing machines and a Buhler Z+ color sorter to ensure only high-quality beans are selected. This coffee is hand-sorted a final time before being bagged. The whole facility is clean, and the warehouses have ample lighting and ventilation specifically designed to keep the coffee fresh while being stored.
Tasting Notes and Flavor Profile
The cup has a delicate cherry blossom aroma with a hint of rose. The perfect balance of berry, chocolate, and floral flavors make this a delicious crowd pleaser. This has what I love about Ethiopian coffee! Fruit and chocolate sing a lovely duet in this anaerobic natural Ethiopia - think berries and fudge with a hint of spice and sweet herb notes.
Est. Deeply and richly sweet, chocolate- and berry-toned. Blackberry, dark chocolate fudge, almond nougat, agave syrup, fresh-cut cedar in aroma and cup. Sweet-toned structure with juicy-bright acidity; very full, satiny mouthfeel.
Key tasting notes include:
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- Raspberry Tea
- Nutella
- Plum
- Mixed Berries
This coffee is fruity and earthy and complex. Makes my whole kitchen smell like cherries. Matching quality and taste with best Parisian coffee shops. These astonishing beans will take you for a wild trip.
Here’s a summary of the tasting notes:
| Aroma | Flavor | Acidity | Mouthfeel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cherry Blossom, Rose, Fresh-cut Cedar | Ripe Berries, Raspberry Tea, Hazelnut, Black Plum, Dark Chocolate Fudge, Almond Nougat, Agave Syrup | Juicy-Bright | Very Full, Satiny |
Coffee Fermentation Process: Aerobic & Anaerobic Explained
A Staple for Coffee Lovers
This coffee has become a staple selection for me, since other favorites have come and gone. This is one of my all-time favorites with all the fruity aroma and taste of Harrar (which is no longer available). I generally don’t leave reviews, however, this coffee is my all time favorite. This coffee is wonderful. So great Coffee bean. That’s one of my favorites. this is usually one of the coffees we order. sipping it now. Fantastic coffee. Very flavorful and rich.
Red Rooster and Socially Conscious Coffee
Established in 2010, Red Rooster is an organic-certified micro-roaster focusing on socially conscious, high-quality coffee. A Red Rooster exclusive, our most beloved and requested single origin is back with a fresh crop! This coffee has been consistently amazing, so this year we bought the entire anaerobic natural lot.
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