Arrived May 2019 in grainpro. Reko is the name of a washing station in the Kochere region producing some excellent washed Yirgacheffe.

During harvest, which normally takes place between late October and mid-January, about 850 farmers bring their red cherries to the washing station. The Reko washing station is an example for neighbouring washing stations, they sustain coffee communities and deliver amazing coffee, year after year. Incoming coffee is washed with water from a nearby river, after which are pulped with an old Agard pulping-machine. The mucilage is removed by traditional fermentation, which lasts 36 to 48 hours depending on the weather conditions. The coffee is then dried on raised African beds for 10 to 12 days.

The coffee stood out because of its pronounced aroma of peach, mango, and other stone-fruits.

• Washing Station: Reko
• Region: Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples
• Zone: Gedeo
• District (Woreda): Kochere
• Altitude: 1850-2100m above sea level
• Coffee variety: Heirloom Varietals, Kurume
• Processing: Washed
• Harvest: October-January

The staff involved in securing ripe cherry and processing is well trained and educated, so a judicious protocol is followed. They make sure only ripe cherries are selected and separated by harvest time and geographic origin. That way it's known which geographic area a particular lot came from (Onancho, Debo, Shashamene, Hamma, Beloya). Reko lots are assigned to professional site managers who have a lot of experience in processing. This staff controls every aspect of lot preparation.

Reko, translated in Afaan Oromo, means challenge. It refers to the challenge of climbing the Reko mountain. But it is equally apt for it to apply to the challenge of gathering and preparing top quality lots of Ethiopia Yirgacheffe. This Grade 1 is an excellent, very fairly priced example of having met that challenge.