SWERL - Banko Gotiti Espresso | Ethiopia - Washed - Heirloom

SWERL COFFEE ROASTERS is located in Falkenberg, Sweden

From SWERL

Layered and intense. Tasting like orange peel, bergamot and black tea. Very sweet with a pleasant tropical hints. 

Huke is a privately-owned washing station located in the Gedeb woreda (administrative district) of Ethiopia’s Gedeo zone. Situated in the kebele (local village) of Banko Gotiti, it is one of 26 washing stations owned and managed by Testi Coffee, a family-owned company founded by Mr. Faysel A. Yonis.

Perched at an altitude of 2,100 meters above sea level, Huke produces exceptional lots in washed, natural, and special preparations. Built by Testi in 2021 as a premium facility, the station was strategically chosen for its natural advantages, including high elevation, favorable regional characteristics, and access to fresh, clean water. By selecting sites in areas with ideal growing conditions and offering premiums for properly harvested cherries, Testi ensures only the highest quality coffee is processed, resulting in exceptional complexity and distinction in the final cup.

The washing station employs five permanent staff members and between 150-200 seasonal workers. During harvest, freshly picked coffee cherries are delivered daily by approximately 500 independent outgrowers from nearby kebeles, including Banko Gotiti, Chelba, Chelchele, and Chelbessai. At Huke, Testi processes each kebele’s cherry delivery as a distinct lot, enhancing traceability. This particular lot is sourced from Banko Gotiti, giving it its name.

Most of the families contributing to this lot farm organically on small plots, averaging less than one hectare. Coffee is their primary cash crop, grown alongside food crops like corn, grains, and bananas, under the shade of native Birbira, Wanza, and Acacia trees. The high elevation of these farms—ranging from 2,000 to 2,200 meters above sea level—combined with the region's cool temperatures, allows for the slow ripening of cherries. This results in denser beans and a sweeter, more complex flavor profile. Most outgrowers live within 5-7 kilometers of the Huke washing station, and their coffee grows under ideal conditions, contributing to the exceptional quality of this lot.

This coffee is part of Testi's Premium Cherry Selection (PCS) initiative, which aims to improve quality through best practices in growing, harvesting, and processing. Launched in 2018, the PCS program ensures that farmers select and deliver only the ripest cherries. Coffees produced under this program represent the highest quality and the cleanest cup profile available from both the washing station and the wider region.