Aricha, as a coffee hub of Yirgacheffe area, approximately 1,000 smallholders from different communities bring their coffee cherries freshly picked to sell.
Located in prime coffee land (and less than 5 km from the town of Yirgacheffe), the washing station is in reach of several coffee-growing communities – Aricha, Reko, Gersi, Naga Singage, and Idido. Everything is perfect for coffee here – the farmer community is experienced, the soil is fertile, the mountains and forests provide the ideal microclimate – and yet the Aricha washing station was left to decay, never reaching even a fraction of its potential.
The coffee processed at the Aricha washing station is typical Yirgacheffe coffee, meaning it is a mix of Kurume and Wolisho landraces and other disease-resistant cultivars. What gives Yirgacheffe coffee its unique taste is the high altitude which makes the trees work harder to produce fruit. As a result, Yirgacheffe coffees tend to have a fuller and more developed profile.
The washing station produces both washed and natural coffee and has recently begun processing small batches of anaerobic coffee as well. Considering the washing station was non-functional just a few short years ago, it has already come an exceptionally long way. Aricha is now a recognized hub for Yirgacheffe coffee and lots from Aricha have consistently ranked high in tastings and auctions.
