Coffee from Ethiopia

Ethiopia is where arabica coffee comes from. Instead of one named variety, farmers grow many local cultivars, collectively called heirloom. That is one of the reasons Ethiopian coffee can taste so different from one washing station to the next.

Much of Ethiopia's specialty coffee comes from smallholders with small plots who deliver their cherries to a shared washing station. In Gedeb, in the Yirgacheffe area, coffee grows at around 2,000 metres. Cool nights at that altitude slow down ripening, and the beans end up dense and hard. We roast them with more energy so they develop all the way to the centre.

What does Ethiopian coffee taste like? A washed Ethiopian is light and floral, almost tea-like in body, with notes of rose, hibiscus, white peach and juicy fruit. Naturals typically bring more sweetness and clearer berry notes.

We roast it light for filter, where the florals are most pronounced, and as an espresso roast that turns sweet and juicy. Light, dense beans benefit from rest. Give them 7 to 10 days, and up to 20. Below you will find the Ethiopian coffees we have right now.