From the province of Sidama, in a region known as Borena, comes a coffee as intense as the land that produced it. A rare example of a washed coffee from an area known more for natural coffees – this is one of the best coffees we found for all of 2013.
- Country: Ethiopia
- Region: Sidama, SNNP
- Sub-region: Borena
- Grade: Specialty Grade 2
- Process: Washed
- Variety: Coffee Arabica
- Altitude: 1,600 – 2,200 meters
- Cupping notes: Aromas of tart raspberry, lemon zest, and sugar cane meet an intense and bright acidity with a flavor of sweet limeade. As the cup cools, peach and candied lemon confront intense chocolate, raspberry tea and myrtle wood. A juicy coffee with a long sweet finish.
This Ethiopian comes from the Kochere, in the region Yirgacheffe where many of the original heirloom cultivars are still in production, and it really shows in its intensely aromatic cup profile. The average altitude of this coffee is 1880 – 1919 meters. We were incredibly impressed by the sweetness and fruit coupled with an overall clean profile in this natural process coffee. This coffee is a grade one – meaning only the ripest and best cherries make it into this lot and it shows.
- Country: Ethiopia
- Region: Yirgacheffe, SNNP
- Sub-region: Kochere
- Grade: Specialty Grade 1
- Process: Sun-dried (Natural)
- Variety: Coffee Arabica
- Altitude: 1,880 – 1,919 meters
- Cupping notes: Intense fruit in the aroma, cherry, blackberry, strawberry balanced by a maple syrup sweetness. The fruit tones in the cup are contrasted by lime, butter and cocoa. Juicy yet mellow acidity with a creamy mouth-feel.
From the birthplace of all coffee. The rain forests, where coffee grows wild, that dominated the region of Kaffa earlier, are reduced to only 3% of their original size. In the last 30 years, 60% of the trees were lost. For some years, there is a large rain forest conservation project, which relies on the use of the last wild stocks of coffee growing in the rain forest. Currently, some 30 cooperatives are harvesting and marketing this specialty coffee, and have helped over 40,000 people to get income.
- Country: Ethiopia
- Region: Kaffa, Oromia
- Grade: Specialty Grade 1
- Process: Sun-dried (Natural)
- Variety: Coffee Arabica
- Altitude: 1,500 – 1,800 meters
- Cupping notes: Rustic yet structured. A truly special and interesting cup. Almonds and pralines in the nose, caramel, ripe orange, fresh butter, and cocoa nibs and walnuts finish clean with a creamy body.