Kolla Bolcha

This coffee is named after the washing station where it was processed. Kolla Bolcha receives and processes coffee from 759 smallholder farmers who live in the surrounding area of Agaro. The washing station is located in the Kimbibit kebele (community/village) where they receive particularly high rainfall across the whole growing season. Their soil is highly fertile with good water retention and drainage and much of the crop is self-sufficient with proper planting practices that don’t require fertilizer to produce spectacular quality.

The washing station was part of USAID’s Technoserve project, which focused on improving African coffee farmers’ lives by helping them get better prices for their coffee. Kolla Bolcha was one of a handful of processing facilities established in Agaro, fitted out with brand-new processing equipment.

In the Kolla Bolcha washing station, coffees are washed and mechanically depulped, then soaked overnight. After fermentation, coffee is dried for 6 to 8 hours a day over 6 to 8 days on raised beds, with frequent turning for even drying.

Agaro is part of the Jimma zone in Western Ethiopia. Here we see the country's earliest harvests that always present a unique green tea note in the cup on top of all of the usual florality we've come to expect from Ethiopian coffees. We also taste sweet pastry in the cup and some delicate citrus fruit.

Producer → Local Smallholder Farmers
Washing Station → Kolla Bolcha
Location → Agaro, Jimma, Ethiopia
Altitude → 2,000-2,100 masl
Variety → Native Landraces
Process → Washed