Wush Wush takes its name from a village in south-western Ethiopia, and it is one of a small group of Ethiopian landraces that have been propagated commercially in Latin America.
The profile
Floral and tea-like with pronounced tropical fruit — lychee, passion fruit, jasmine — a delicate body and a bright, layered acidity.
Comparable in style to Geisha, and different enough to be recognisable on its own.
Where it grows
Colombia principally, in very small plantings on quality-focused farms, plus a little in Panama and Ecuador.
Total production is minuscule, which is much of why it is expensive.
Why so little of it
Very low yield and a demanding plant. It also needs high altitude and careful handling to express the character that justifies the price.
Like Geisha, planted in the wrong place it produces ordinary coffee at extraordinary cost.
The processing question
Wush Wush is frequently processed anaerobically or with extended fermentation, which makes it difficult to separate the variety’s contribution from the process’s. Washed examples are rarer and more informative.
Price
Among the highest in specialty coffee, behind Geisha and alongside Sidra.
Brewing it
Filter, very light roast, the cleanest brewer you own, and water you have thought about.