Let’s take a trip to Yirgacheffe, Ethiopia!

Ethiopia has a very strong reputation for coffee production, with a large percentage being speciality graded. This is due to their ideal environment of high altitudes, nutrient-rich soils, and a perfect balance of sun and rain.

They even have their own ‘heirloom’ varietals, which grow wild nationwide. They are characterised by strong citrus acidity, stone fruits, milk chocolate and floral/herbal aromas.

The Yirgacheffe district in central southern Ethiopia has been cultivating coffee for generations. It features growing altitudes ranging from 1,900 to 2,100 meters above sea level and a dense layer of vegetation that shields the coffee plants from intense sunlight.

The mountainous terrain leads to a slower growth rate for the coffee plants due to the high elevation. This slower maturation process allows the cherries to ripen gradually, resulting in beans that are infused with bright and fruity flavours.

The Konga Sede Washing Station

Whistling at Wolves is a fully washed coffee processed at the Konga Sede Washing Station. Husband-and-wife Frehiwot and Gisaw Mekonnen own this hub. They have 10 fermentation tanks, and 210 raised African drying beds, making it one of the largest washing stations in the area.

How was this coffee processed?

The cherries are carefully handpicked to ensure that only the ripest ones are harvested. They are then transported to the Konga Sede Washing Station, where they are floated to separate the underripe cherries from the overripe ones.

Next, the beans are extracted from the cherries within hours of being harvested and thoroughly washed to remove any remaining mucilage. After this, they are spread across raised African drying beds to dry in the sun for 12 to 15 days. The beans are routinely raked throughout the drying process to ensure consistent drying.

Once they have dried to the optimum moisture level, they are taken to Addis Ababa for dry milling, where the parchment is removed before being bagged and prepared for export.

Where does the name come from?

Have you ever heard of the Ethiopian Wolf? Well, strap in because you are about to!

These wolves, also known as Red Jackals, Simien Jackal or Simien Fox, are one of Africa’s most endangered animals. Identifiable by their long bushy tail, pointed ears and long face, they have been faced with habitat loss and new diseases.  Unfortunately, this has led to less than 500 being left in the wild.

But hang on…what does this have to do with this coffee?…

Well, 150 of these wolves, the largest pack left, actually live in the Bale Mountains in southern Yirgacheffe. That’s right, the same place where this coffee was cultivated! Here, the focus on preserving the animals is spearheaded by the Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Programme (EWCP).

Formed in 1995, Claudio Sillero and Karen Laurenson discovered how rare and threatened these animals were. Since then, the EWCP has become one of the world leaders in carnivore conservation.

To support their mission, a proportion of sales from every sack of this coffee sold has gone back to this charity, raising a whopping £3,200 so far! Wahoo!

So, you can probably guess where we got the name from now, right? Let’s give a big round of applause to the EWCP and these wolves!