Coffee Description
A light floral coffee with notes of citrus and melon. A roasted balance of sweet, floral and acid.
Roast Level from the Roaster
Refers to the roast level in comparison with other coffees from the roaster
Light
Variety
Wush Wush
Process
Washed
Region
Kaffa
About Dinkamlem Ademe of Ethiopia
Dinkalem’s washing station is one of the most cheerful we get to visit each year, with smiling faces all around, clean facilities, and a well-organized production flow. Dinkalem himself is a short, cheerful man who’s proud of all he’s accomplished in partnership with his wife, Sofia, for the area. Together they are a kind of power couple: she organizes charitable work such as educational sessions for children and food distribution to disenfranchised Keffa people, and he runs the coffee business in two locations (one in Wush Wush and one in Dinbira for washed and natural processed).
They live in the town of Wush Wush in a rambling house that seems mostly hallways and surprising corners. Sofia is known for her kirkele, or lamb stew, which is the best we’ve ever tasted—it’s all savory chunks of stewed lamb so tender it drips off the spoon, gleaming fatty, buttery broth, and surprising layers of flavor that just keep revealing themselves on the tongue. They have 6 children, who love to play vigorous hide-and-seek with our daughter.
Dinkalem is proud to produce mostly very high-end coffee. His washing station in Wush Wush is 6 years old this season and sits on two hectares, with long drying beds stretching to the far reaches of the property, which is bordered by the glorious forests so characteristic of Kaffa. Approximately 2500 smallholder farmers bring their cherries to the washing station, where coffees are accepted or rejected based on quality and then sorted by hand before pulping.
Dinkalem has a four-disk Agard pulper with two repasser disks, which receives regular maintenance. At its highest capacity, it can process approximately 4000 kgs per hour. The nearby Agama River provides water for washing through the serpentine channels at Dinkalem’s washing station; after coffees have been pulped, fermented, and washed, they are placed on the drying beds to reach optimal moisture content.
The drying beds are composed of plastic and wire mesh on local tree materials, and parchment is typically dried at a depth of approximately 2 cm. The workers at the washing station carefully stir, hand-pick defects, and cover the parchment multiple times a day depending on sun or rain. Once they’ve reached optimal moisture content, the parchment is moved to the storage shed which is clean and made from sheet metal as is customary in the area. Dinkalem religiously prohibits shoes, perfume, and any food or beverages in the storage.
Kaffa, Ethiopia
Theory Coffee Roasters
Roasting coffee was originally an escape fantasy/retirement dream for owner Sam LaRobardiere, until roasting equipment and some green coffee basically fell into his lap. Then as a hobby roaster, he began selling at a pop-up for community events and artisan markets, and in 2018 took the leap to open both a roastery and coffee shop.
Over the years, the folks at Theory Coffee Roasters have honed their coffee skills and built strong coffee-sourcing relationships. Along the way, they have had some fun achievements. Theory brought home the gold medal in the highly competitive espresso category at the nation’s largest roasting competition, Golden Bean North America, in 2018. Theory placed top 10 Overall in the Good Food Awards 2019. Shortly after, Theory Competed against 8 other roasters and won the Twitter Headquarter’s Brew-Off competition in 2019 becoming the sole coffee provider for the Twitter HQ in San Francisco. Theory was also included in the Food & Wine Magazine’s 100 Best Coffee Shops in America in 2019. They were also named as one of the top 30 Coffee Roasters in North America in Fresh Cup Magazine. Joel Lohner, roasting and production manager, placed as one of the top 3 in cup tasters at the Coffee Champ competition. Sam LaRobardiere and Joel Lohner both received their Q-Grader license, which is the equivalent to a wine sommelier in the coffee industry.
While Theory is motivated by the great accomplishments of the past, we continue to be even more excited about the future. Our commitment is to continue to bring our beloved customers even more award-winning coffees that are roasted to display the optimal balance of each coffee's best attributes. You can buy with confidence that Theory will deliver the best coffees in the world...right to your doorstep.
