Overview
The release of Daannisa marks the return of the first coffee we ever purchased from Ture Waji six years ago! We’re thrilled to have this one on the menu again and continue showcasing the expert natural processing of the Sookoo team.
You’ve likely heard us mention Ture many times before, as he exports the bulk of our natural Ethiopians, like Biranu Dulo and Bookkisa. We’ve been consistently impressed with every coffee we’ve tasted from Sookoo, and were thrilled to continue diving deeper and strengthening our relationship with each passing year. They specialize in primarily natural processed coffees (though, we’ll have some washed soon!), working with five groups of farmers within the Odo Shakiso woreda of the Guji Zone. Sookoo focuses on working with small groups and providing education for the farmers - teaching proper farm maintenance and picking practices.
Daannisa is a collective of 30 growers living in the sub-kebele (similar to a neighborhood) of the same name. Coffees are grown at a stunning 2000+ masl, selectively picked, and delivered to Sookoo’s centralized processing station. Here they’re carefully dried in thin layers on raised beds for a total of 3 - 4 weeks.
This year’s lot from Daannisa is everything we love about natural processed coffees, like big fruit flavors that make you re-imagine what coffee can be, but presented in a brilliantly clean and refined package. Similarities to Biranu Dulo include a very silky body, complex sweetness, and juicy acidity. The expression of fruit flavor is where you’ll notice key differences - Daannisa leans more into tropical and stone fruits. We’re tasting: mango, orange, peach, cherry, caramel, vanilla, sweet tea, milk chocolate.
Relationship
Ture initially reached out to our green coffee buyer on instagram way back in December of 2018 as they were flying home from a visit to Ethiopia. We soon learned that he used to be the manager for a processing station we purchased from many years ago, called Guji Highlands. Ture explained how he had decided to start his own company with a laser focus on quality and transparency. And the rest is history! Ever since that first season, we’ve been blown away by nearly all samples we’ve tasted. They were (and still are) some of the cleanest natural processed coffees we’ve ever experienced, hands down. It’s no surprise that in specialty coffee circles he’s been lovingly nicknamed The King of Guji.
Our primary relationship for all things Sookoo related is directly with Ture. After coffees are selected and prices are agreed upon each year, we then transition into working closely with Tim Hill at Atlantic Specialty Coffee. They handle the logistics of moving the coffee across the ocean, importing, and warehousing for us throughout the year.
Processing
The strict attention to detail in the drying stage is what separates Ture Waji’s coffees from the rest of the pack. There are two key components to his technique - (a) lots of moving and turning of the coffees, a minimum of six times per day and (b) a very shallow bed of cherries, a maximum of only one inch.
Because of the nature of drying the fruit around the seed, coffee processed this way is inherently packed with intense fruit flavors; but because of these specific protocols, coffees from Sookoo are particularly crisp and clean. You get all of the big fruit juice flavors and none of the murky over-fermented or over-ripe fruit flavors that can sometimes accompany a naturally processed coffee.
Brewing
Brewing this coffee is quite versatile! Any way you slice it, you’re in for a mouthful of fruit flavor and a lot of natural sweetness. Finer grinds tend to bring out a fuller body and more intense flavors. You’ll find the flavor becomes more concentrated, like raspberry jam and chocolate. Coarser grinds will boost the flavor clarity and complexity - so in addition to berries and chocolate, you’ll also find a plethora of citrus and tropical fruits in the cup.
If your brew is watery, lacking sweetness, and sour like under ripe berries - try grinding finer.
If your brew is drying and the flavors are muddled and unclear, like oversteeped black tea or cocoa powder - try grinding coarser.
