GOGUGU / ETHIOPIA
Gogugu / Ethiopia
【Flavor Profile】
Tangerine, Peach, Floral, Earl Grey Tea
A vibrant flavor profile with notes of tangerine, peach, floral hints, and a tea-like finish reminiscent of Earl Grey.
Country of Origin: Ethiopia
Region: Guji > Uraga
Washing Station: Gogugu Washing Station
Established: 2020
Manager: Abraham Elias
Producers: 510 small-scale farmers
Average Farm Size: 0.5–2 hectares
Varieties: Dega, Wolisho
Process: Washed
Altitude: 1900–2000 masl
Harvest Season: 2023–2024
Fuglen Coffee Roasters began sourcing coffee in Ethiopia in 2020, marking five years of partnership this year. Our supplier, SNAP TRADING, exports renowned coffees such as Danche, Halo, and Gogugu. Over the past two years, we’ve had the opportunity to visit their dry mill twice.
Despite the challenging environment of dust and noise inherent to dry mill operations, the facility was impeccably clean, with significant investments made in quality control equipment. Each department is managed by a dedicated professional, and once again, Bahar, the head of the sorting section, graciously guided us through the facility. His detailed explanations reflected the team's commitment to quality improvement throughout the process.
Gogugu Washing Station
Established in 2020, the Gogugu Washing Station is situated in the Halo Walabu area of the Guji Zone. This region, recognized as one of Ethiopia's highest coffee-growing areas, boasts altitudes exceeding 2000 meters. Cherries from 510 surrounding farms are delivered to this station, with farms ranging from 0.5 to 2 hectares in size. Each hectare hosts approximately 1800–2400 coffee trees. The farms benefit from fertile red soil, abundant sunlight, and cool, refreshing breezes—ideal conditions for cultivating high-quality coffee. Most of the coffee trees in this region are young, between 5–10 years old, earning it the distinction of "Ethiopia's youngest coffee trees."
Processing Method
The meticulous processing starts with hand-picking ripe cherries, which are then sorted manually. A traditional Agardé disc pulper removes the pulp, and parchment coffee is sorted in water channels by density into Grades 1 and 2.
The coffee undergoes wet fermentation for 60–72 hours, depending on the weather. After fermentation, the coffee is washed in channels and further sorted by density. High-quality beans sink to the bottom, ensuring only the best are selected as G1 or G2 grades. The coffee is then soaked in clean water for six hours to stabilize quality.
For drying, the coffee is spread in thin layers no more than 2 cm high and dried over 13 days. Afterward, a meticulous hand-sorting process lasting 2–4 hours ensures uniform quality.
Post-Processing and Storage
Once processed, the coffee is packed into jute bags and stored by grade and processing method. Lot sizes vary from 100–300 bags. During the storage period of 1–2 months, the coffee stabilizes to achieve uniform moisture content. Additional sorting may be performed as needed during this time.
After the harvest season, the coffee is transported to Addis Ababa’s warehouses or dry mills. Given Ethiopia's high transport costs, logistics efficiency is crucial. Before reaching Addis Ababa, trucks stop at regional ECX (Ethiopian Commodity Exchange) inspection stations for grading and export registration.
Finally, the coffee is stored in parchment form in Addis Ababa warehouses, where our team selects samples from specific lots. The coffee remains in parchment form until shipment to preserve quality.
