Danche Hydro Honey

Hydro Honey is an innovative hybrid processing method that combines elements of both natural and honey processing. After harvesting, coffee cherries are carefully sorted and selected based on their sugar content to ensure optimal quality. The cherries then undergo a short pre-drying stage, spending approximately 48 hours on shaded drying beds, similar to a traditional natural process but for a much shorter period.Following this initial drying, the cherries are transferred to fermentation tanks filled with water for a total of 48 hours. Fermentation takes place in a unique environment where the tanks are smoked with olive wood and honey foam ("sefef"), enhancing complexity and character.

The process alternates between 24 hours of aerobic fermentation and 24 hours of anaerobic fermentation.Once fermentation is complete, the cherries are pulped, leaving the mucilage intact, and dried slowly on shaded beds for around 25 days, much like a honey process. This prolonged drying period helps stabilize flavours and develop exceptional sweetness, clarity, and complexity in the cup.The coffee originates from Yirgacheffe, Ethiopia, a world-renowned region celebrated for producing some of the finest and most distinctive coffees globally.

Located in Danche Village in the Gedeb district of Ethiopia's Gedeo zone, this coffee comes from one of the country's most celebrated coffee-growing regions. The area's dense semi-forest ecosystem, with shade trees and banana plants, provides ideal conditions for producing exceptional coffee. In 2019, SNAP Specialty Coffee established a washing station in Chelbesa, sourcing exclusively ripe red cherries from nearby farmers. Today, the station partners with 915 smallholder producers from Chelbesa, Danche, and Kubi. Featuring ceramic fermentation tanks that enhance heat retention and cup clarity, the station, together with the farmers' careful cultivation and selective harvesting, produces coffees of remarkable quality and distinction.