PHILOCOFFEA 293 ETHIOPIA Soil Project Wene Natural

Wene Farm is a single-farm coffee plantation located in the Sidama region of Ethiopia and is run by a young producer, Mr. Age.
The name "Wene" comes from a specific type of monkey found in the farm and is seen as a symbol of the land's coexistence with nature.

The most distinctive feature of this farm is its "black soil," which is extremely rare in Ethiopia.
This type of soil, rich in minerals and teeming with microbial activity, is believed to give coffee a richer texture and a more powerful character.
In fact, Wene coffee is characterized by its more pronounced body and viscosity compared to other Ethiopian coffee-producing regions.

Wene Farm will plant different varieties of crops in separate plots:

• Shetame block: 74158

• Block K: 74158

• Mariwo Block (MR): 74110

This design is intended to allow for a clearer observation of the unique characteristics of each variety. The MR block introduced today only cultivates variety 74110.

All blocks are processed using a sun-drying method.
After harvesting, the coffee cherries are first sorted in water tanks to remove unripe cherries, and then spread out in a single layer on African high beds to dry.
With the leaves turned twice a day, they will dry slowly for about 4–5 weeks. In the later stages, the layers will be gradually thickened to achieve a uniform and clean flavor profile.

Tri-Up and Mr. Age have positioned Wene Farm as a long-term "Soil Project".
Currently, we are verifying the flavor differences among different varieties; in the future, we will adjust the treatment methods according to the characteristics of the varieties and fine-tune the soil nutrient balance according to quality requirements, so as to continue to advance the Soil Project.
This is not just a single batch from a particular year, but a long-term experimental project to examine the relationship between "farm, soil, variety, and processing," which is one of the most fascinating aspects of this coffee.

Although Wene is still a young farm, with its rare black soil environment, Age's passion, and Tri-Up's continued support, it has great potential to become one of Ethiopia's most representative coffee-producing farms in the future.
This is a coffee that allows you to directly taste "the current state of a growing farm".

This year's lucky bags included coffee from the Shetame area, which also belonged to the Soil Project series.
At the end of last year, we sampled and tasted both blocks and were pleasantly surprised by their "granola-like" texture.
Although it doesn't feel heavy, it has a noticeable stickiness, like the texture of syrup. This "liquid texture," besides the flavor itself, is something we hope you'll pay close attention to and enjoy.

Although green beans are small, they are very clean in appearance and have a low moisture content. Therefore, when roasting, the heat should be reduced slightly to allow the beans to mature slowly due to their own heat storage.
Because the popping sound of small Ethiopian beans is difficult to hear, we pay extra attention to the aroma changes throughout the roasting process, so as not to miss the moment when the aroma suddenly bursts forth, and to carefully judge when to stop roasting.
When cupped immediately after baking, the rich sweetness of stone fruits and drupes instantly overwhelmed the senses, giving a strong sense of Wene's high potential.

"Did you just grind some really fragrant coffee?"
The aroma is so strong just from grinding the beans that my colleagues in the store can't help but ask this question.
(My colleague's senses are quite sharp too, haha)

When coffee is hot, it evokes the sweet and sour taste of red cherries and cranberries;
As the temperature drops, the flavor gradually shifts towards a more juicy and intensely sweet fruitiness, similar to Delaware grapes and yellow peaches.
The flavor profile after cooling is somewhat reminiscent of Philocoffea's other Ethiopian cocktail, "TOMODACHI".

Although it was lightly roasted, you could still clearly feel its thick and smooth texture, which was a pleasant surprise and something I really liked.

Thinking about how this coffee will become even more refined through further research into varieties and soil, I'm already looking forward to its performance next year.
Age's meticulous work ethic, combined with Tri-Up's spirit of continuous exploration, makes this coffee full of surprise and anticipation, making you realize that "this is just the beginning and it's already at such a high standard."