Harar is the ancient Western capital, a walled city that has been a source of intrigue for centuries. Misraq Hararghe (pronounced Harar-Gey) is the name of the greater Harar area that the city commanded, and it seems that"Gey" is a shortened name local Harari people use for the area. True Harar coffees are from the higher Eastern areas, but many coffees sold as Harar from the Western area. Harar coffees are dry-processed, which when done right, creates a big bodied, heavily fruited cup.
We like the way dry-process Ethiopias translate as decafs too, much of what makes Ethiopian coffees so unique - fruit, acidity, and sometimes florals - transferring to the decaf versions. This batch is not a farm direct lot; it was sourced through the Ethiopia Coffee Exchange and stood out because of the nice cup quality. Then we had it prepared with extra hand-picking at a mill in Addis Ababa. And finally, we sent a small amount off to Swiss Water Decaf plant in Vancouver, BC for decaffeination.
Fruit-forward decaf, papaya to stone fruit, red berry, and durian. Herbaceous as it cools, horehound and sarsaparilla. Very close to the non-decaf.
