Ethiopia

Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee: it is in the forests of the Kaffa region that Coffea Arabica grew wild. Coffee is "Bun" or "Buna" in Ethiopia, so Coffee Bean is quite possibly a poor anglicized interpretation of "Kaffa Bun". We consider Ethiopian coffees to be some of the best in the world, and extreme genetic diversity of the coffee shrub is certainly part of the reason why. Most of the coffee is either wet-processed - resulting in a vividly bright cup, with fruit and floral notes - or dry-processed with the fruit skin intact. The latter technique produces a very different, rustic fruited flavor profile, and with thicker body.

Coffea Arabica was also found in the Harar region quite early, either brought from the Kaffa forests or from closer areas around the Sudan border. It is entirely possible that slaves taken from the forests chewed coffee cherry and spit out the seeds, thus spreading it into the Harar region, through which the Muslim slave trade route passed.

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We currently offer these unroasted coffees:

XL Africa Sampler
Ethiopia Sidama Deri Kochoha
Ethiopia Illubabor Camp
Ethiopia Organic Suke Quto
Ethiopia Dry-Process Yirga Cheffe Konga
Ethiopia Busa Bechane
Ethiopia Goma Duromina Cooperative
XL Africa Sampler
$100.00
Going big - XL BIG!
Arrival date2012/2013 Arrivals
Appearancevarious
Gradevarious
ProcessingWet Process (Washed)
Regionvarious
Varietal(s)Various
Intensity/Prime attributeMost of these coffees will be Medium Intensity / expect prime attributes to include up front sweetness, floral character, and clean fruited notes.
RoastCity to Full City. Each coffee will have specific roast recommendations on the label.

This is a special 20 lbs sampler that consists of 4 different coffees. We have so many amazing lots from Africa right now that we thought it would be fun to offer some variety and value to our home roasters. Normally when you buy a 20 lbs bag of coffee from us it has to be all one single origin or blend. Well, now you can try the XL Africa Sampler and we'll select 4 of our top lots from Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Burundi. So, no cloth bag or anything fancy, just 4 of our regular 5 lbs bags of 4 different coffees.

Due to the special pricing for this sampler we cannot honor special requests nor accept returns. Thanks.

Here is an example of the lots you'll see included in the XL Africa Sampler, keep in mind we will be doing the selecting and lots will come and go, but trust us, we'll pick 4 great lots along the lines of the following:

Ethiopia Sidama Deri Kochoha
$6.75
$12.83
$29.36
$56.03
$106.95
Drying beds in Sidama
Arrival dateJune 2013 Arrival
Appearance.2 d/300gr, 16-17 Screen
GradeSidamo Gr 1
ProcessingWet Process (Washed)
RegionHagere Maryame Woreda, Sidama
Varietal(s)Heirloom Varietals
Intensity/Prime attributeMedium intensity / Very sweet, floral, moderate brightness, layers of fruit
RoastCity to City+ is ideal for a bright cup, while Full City/Full City+ is amazing for espresso.

This lot of Sidama region coffee comes from Deri Kochoha station, in the Hagere Maryame (Hagere Mariam) woreda. This area of the Oromia zone is south of Yirga Cheffe town, but has similar coffee growing altitudes of 1800 to 2000 meters. The station has approximated 600 contributing farmers, and produces approximately 2 containers per year. They use a traditional disc pulper to remove the coffee cherry fruit skins, then use a very long 72 hour under-water, traditional fermentation to break down the mucilage layer of the fruit. The coffee is vigorously agitated in the fermentation tank with wooden paddles to work the mucilage off, then washed to a soaking tank for a clean water overnight bath. Finally it is taken to the raised beds for drying. It's the classic coffee processing method in Sidama and Yirga Cheffe zones, and one that develops very sweet and clean coffees.

Deri Kochoha has a strong floral character that remains prevalent all the way from the ground coffee to the cup. The dry fragrance has strong scents of honey and molasses-ginger cookie, with soft floral hints of lilac and star jasmine. A smell of ripe fruit is also prevalent in its representation of peak sweetness. Adding hot water brings up spiced tea, like bergamot, in the steam. Wafts of fresh cup flowers come up off the breaking crust along with a note of lemon verbena. Deri Kochoha's cup profile is so pristine, and with a delicate, but balanced sweetness and acidity. There is a refined sweetness of simple syrup at lighter roast levels, along with hints of toffee and butterscotch candy. The acidity is brilliant has a quality of lemon tea. This coffee is floral, to say the least, and this defining characteristic will hold up in more developed roasts as well. Full City roasts highlight the fruit complexity that this coffee is capable of producing. Pineapple, plum, mango, red apple, tamarind - the list goes on and on becomes more perceptible as the cup drops in temperature. This Sidama has great body and amazing mouthfeel, and will make an amazing single origin (SO) espresso. Lots of chocolate with bracing, citrus acidity - like a dark chocolate orange. This is a very versatile coffee that does extremely well in all applications.

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Ethiopia Illubabor Camp
$6.30
$11.97
$27.41
$52.29
$100.02
Public transit at Camp Cooperative, Illubabor area
Arrival dateJune 2013 Arrival
Appearance.2 d/300gr, 16-18 Screen
Grade2
ProcessingWet Process Style Machine Washed
RegionIllubabor
Varietal(s)Heirloom Varietals
Intensity/Prime attributeMedium Intensity / Fruit and floral hints, complex sugars, nectar-like mouthfeel
RoastCity+ may be our favorite level, but this is a coffee that will fare well from City, right up to the edge of Full City+.

Camp Coffee. I know this will be the source of a few jokes, especially since camp coffee (at least to me) means not-so-tasty coffee that is enjoyable because, well, it's hot, and your camping! Anyway, I have been to the Camp cooperative mill, and I still can't explain the name. It just is. Camp is in the Illubabor district of western Ethiopia. It is not far from the main paved road on the way to Bedele town. I measured the altitude at the Camp mill at 1897 meters, but most of the coffee comes from the higher areas in the vicinity, up to 2100 meters. This lot of Camp is part of an initiative we set up in Ethiopia two years ago, in order to work direct at the coop level. The program is administered by a non-government organization that not only coordinates agronomists and managers for each of the coops they work with, but also has a business adviser assigned that helps the cooperative manage their debt, re-invest in quality improvements at the mill, and verifies distribution of income to all members.

This year's lot of Camp is a marked improvement over last - and that's saying a lot as last year's was amazing! The dry grounds are "bigger", with an up front floral quality of orange blossom, and with fruits like flame grape, red berries, peach, pineapple and papaya. Adding hot water really breathes life into this already lively aromatic profile. There is a strong sweetness of caramelized sugars and coconut syrup, and notes of baked apple and berries in cream. A smell of dried wildflowers is also released when breaking the wet grounds. The cup is really quite beautiful. Light roasts have a sort of fruit punch flavor, with raspberry, red currant, strawberry and Fuji apple. Deeper roasts accentuate aspects of sugar browning, and notes of creamed honey and brown sugar come to dominate the profile. The floral notes are articulate, and remain static across the roast spectrum. Camp has a rather dense body, which, coupled with the fruited notes, give it a nectar-like mouthfeel. This is one of those coffees where the adjectives continue to multiply as the cup cools in temperature. The acidity is brilliant and the finish comes off similar to black tea. This coffee can definitely be enjoyed as espresso too, but should be taken to Full City or beyond to tone down acidity and enhance body.

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Ethiopia Organic Suke Quto
$6.40
$12.16
$27.84
$53.12
$101.56
Ripe coffee cherry at the Suke Quto farm
Arrival dateAugust 2012 Arrival
Appearance.4 d/300gr, 16-18 Screen
Grade2
ProcessingWet Process (Washed)
RegionSuke Quto, Guji Zone, Oromiya Woreda
Varietal(s)Heirloom Varietals
Intensity/Prime attributeMedium intensity / Clear and clean fruit, candied sweetness
RoastCity to City+ captures the fruit and floral attributes: Light roasts really capture the essence of this coffee. For espresso we take it to a Full City, not quite to 2nd crack.

Guji Shakiso is a coffee that comes out of a “private” cooperative in that it is owned and operated by a single farmer. The coffee cooperative is comprised of the surrounding farmers in the area, and is replete with two washing stations where farmers are able to have their coffee cherry processed. The people are known as Gujii Oromo, and coffee farming has been a core part of the culture in the highland areas. It's a distinct coffee from Yirga Cheffe, and Sidamo. There is a commitment to the farm workers and assistance is provided in the form of agricultural education and tools, onsite agronomists, as well as a local health care system. Geographically, culturally, and in terms of cup flavors, these southern coffees have a different flavor profile while maintaining the same general characteristics; citrus and floral accents, a lively cup character. Add to this the fact that cultivars used in Ethiopia are largely regional, distinct local strains of coffees that have spread from the wild forest plants of western Ethiopia, to Harar in the East and to the southern districts like Guji. Because this is privately owned farm land and they process their own coffee, they have license to export, and ultimately we're able to form this direct trade link with them.

This lot of Suke Quto is cupping so well. It's a complex coffee with amazing floral attributes, excellent sweetness, and beautifully balanced. The dry fragrance has candied sweetness, cinnamon stick, floral honey, and dried mango. Deeper roasts have a burned sugar quality that is like toffee. The wet aroma shows even more sweetness with baked peach and apricot, dried wildflowers, and nutmeg. There's even a bit of cherry pie on the break along with a note of Assam tea. As a cup, this coffee really shines. It's a transparent cup with Jasmine tea, and peach hard candy. This is a juicy coffee and the fruit flavors really come to fore as the cup cools. Light roasts have stone fruits, green grape, Asian pear, and melon. Caramelized sugars are front and center, especially in Full City roasts and beyond, with notes of dark brown sugar and coffee cake crust. There's a malic brightness throughout the roast spectrum that frames the bouquet of fruit and flowers quite nicely. The mouthfeel is viscous and reminded me a bit of apple juice in its texture. Excellent as a single origin (SO) espresso or as a component to your next espresso blend.

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Ethiopia Dry-Process Yirga Cheffe Konga
$6.90
$13.11
$30.02
Another day at work at the Konga coffee mill in Yirga Cheffe
Arrival dateNovember 2012 arrival
Appearance1.0 d/300 grams, 15-18 Screen
GradeGrade 3
ProcessingDry Process (Natural)
RegionYirga Cheffe
Varietal(s)Heirloom Varietals
Intensity/Prime attributeBold intensity / Dried fruit and rustic sweetness, with baking spices and powdered cocoa.
RoastCity+ to Full City+ will capture this coffee's complexity

This is the last arrival we have of the current harvest from Ethiopia, and represents one of the nicest dry-processed coffees of the season. Located in the Gedeo zone area of Yirga Cheffe, it is also home to some the most beautiful coffees we buy. This lot of Konga is in an area of Yirga Cheffe with a range of 1900-2300 meters, and is dry-processed on raised beds. Smallholder farmers from around the region delivery their heirloom Ethiopian coffee varietals to the station where it is weighed and then sun dried before being delivered to Addis Ababa for sale. This lot is a "clean" version of the process with its wide array of fruit characteristics easily perceptible. This coffee was prepared to Grade 3 specifications, although we think it rivals another lot of dry-processed coffee we received that tested as Grade 1. Go figure. It is certainly a clean coffee with few quakers (under-ripes). But they are still there. With naturals, nothing is perfect.

While this dry processed coffee is definitely of the rustic nature, it doesn't equate to a "muddled" profile, and the complexity really comes through. The dry fragrance is very sweet with dried fruits taking the lead. Bing cherry, dried apricot, strawberry, and mango are found in lighter roasts, whereas the fruits in dark roasts are situated around a base of chocolate. The wet grounds remind me of strawberry milk, and really start to give off a sense of baking goods, like berry filled donuts. Baking spices also come up, especially in more developed roasts, like cardomom, clove, and star anise. There's no big surprises in the cup profile as it sticks fairly close to that of the aromatics. The sweetness is slightly more confectionary, which, along with dried tropical and berry fruits, has a fruit-roll-up appeal. Fruits turn to chai spice in the finish along with a dusting of bittersweet cocoa. This coffee has a thick, milky body, and works great in espresso; even as straight unblended shots if you like a rustic sweetness. I found that brewed results seem to place the accent on the spices, particularly star anise, and other times on the fruited flavors, depending on roast levels, water temperature and steeping time. So play around with the variables in brewing to see the different possibilities this coffee offers.

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Ethiopia Busa Bechane
$6.30
$11.97
$27.41
$52.29
$100.02
Lower production of fruit is normal with the passive organic practices in Jimma
Arrival dateJanuary 2013 Arrival
Appearance.2 d/300gr, 17-18 Screen
Grade2
ProcessingWet Process (Washed)
RegionKersa, Jimma
Varietal(s)Heirloom Varietals
Intensity/Prime attributeMedium Intensity / Honey-like sweetness and stone fruit notes
RoastA wide range of roasts works with Busa Bechane. The lighter City to City+ levels had stunning fruit notes with nutty tones, darker roast turn jammy, with milk chocolate

Busa Bechane is the name of a cooperative in the Western Ethiopia growing region of Jimma. It is located in the Kersa kebele (a county) and situated at 1780 meters. The coop was started in 2010 and has a strong report card on meeting its commitments to farmer-members. The coop is assisted by a US-based non-government organization to improve it's coffee farming practices and processing techniques, as well as care for it's business practices. It is graded on whether it meets it's goals and so far Busa Bechane has achieved 87% of its coffee production and farm management goals, 75% of its health & safety goals for members and 77% of its environmental responsibility goals. This may seem vague and abstract but when I have visited cooperatives working in this system, the difference is night and day between these ones and others who are poorly managed in both coffee and business practices. We also know that the system means no graft, and accountability to members, returning the best prices for coffee cherry as well as a second after-harvest dividend payment that results directly from the higher price we pay for their coffee. Busa Bechane arrived on our last Ethiopia container which is quite late. We were nervous that shipping delays might have taken something out of the cup quality of the coffee. But these lots cup fresh and sweet!

The dry fragrance has toasted almond and cocoa, with dark honey sweetness. The wet aroma follows in line with the fragrance from the dry grounds with red honey and a dusting of cocoa, but there is also stone fruit notes of peach and apricot, with the scent of wildflowers. On the break there is a chocolate nougat note. The cup is awesome at a wide range of roast levels from a very light City to Full City+ or more. The lighter ranges feature apricot, peach and mango fruits, syrupy sweetness, a trace of mandarin citrus, and a praline almond roast tone. As it cools the brightness has the grape-like character of tartaric acidity. With slightly more "degree of roast" I find the same fruits with a more jammy intensity, and milk chocolate starts to ebb the sweetened nut roast taste. Given the late arrival date of this coffee, the fresh and clean fruited sweetness is doubly impressive. If there is one place you can truly hope for a miracle with a delayed shipment, it is Ethiopia where coffee is stored in parchment at a perfect temperature and 2200 meters altitude. That seems to have played a role here.

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Ethiopia Goma Duromina Cooperative
$6.65
$12.64
$28.93
$55.20
$105.41
Roasting coffee at Duromina on my last visit, powered by a car battery!
Arrival dateMay 2012 arrival
Appearance.2 d/300gr, 16-18 Screen
Grade2
ProcessingWet Process (Washed)
RegionGoma Woreda, Agaro, Jimma, West Ethiopia
Varietal(s)Heirloom Varietals
Intensity/Prime attributeMedium Intensity / Sweet aromatics, bright, clean fruit notes
RoastCity to City+ roast levels have the best sweetness and fruited notes. Full City has more berry fruit notes and slight chocolate bittersweet. Darker roasts not recommended.

This coffee from Duromina Cooperative is part of an initiative we have in Ethiopia to work direct at the coop level. The program is administered by a non-government organization that not only coordinates agronomists and managers for each of the coops they work with, but also has a business adviser assigned that helps the cooperative manage their debt, re-invest in quality improvements at the mill, and verifies distribution of income to all members. This is a key position; I have never known a coop to get this kind of expert advice from outside ... not in Africa at least. A cooperative can make all kinds of quality improvements, turn out fantastic coffee, and sink deeper in debt all the while. Cooperatives often fail to return a fair and full amount of payment to their farmer-members. Often this is from poor management, and sometimes from graft as well. With this lot we can verify that the great price we paid will result in a fair distribution of funds, a better managed coop, investment in the mill, and even better coffee next year! There will be about 10 coffees we offer this year from this system, Duromina being one of the first to arrive. Duromina is in the Goma Woreda, with farm altitudes between 1900 to 2100 meters. I was there last November we brought a home roaster, and powered by car battery and an inverter, held an entire cupping for the coffee farmers! Duromina won the all-Africa cupping competition at the EAFCA conference this year in Addis!

Duromina is a sweet, delicate and well-structured cup, totally different from the typical dry-process Jimma coffees. The fragrance from the dry grounds has stone fruit (peach, apricot) and honey. As I add the hot water, there is intensely sweet smell of apricot preserves, jammy, with floral scents as well. The wet aroma is floral, peach tree in bloom, almond extract, a hint of cherry (City+ roast). The cup has very refined flavor characteristics, not a "big" coffee, but a restrained and articulate one. My lightest roast (City) have amazing fruit juice sweetness, clean berry notes, peach essence, lightly caramelized sugars, sweet grain. With a little more roast (City+), floral and fruit flavors intensify, and the ripeness of the berry notes comes to the forefront. At Full City the chocolate starts to dominate. The body is relatively light, complimenting the cleanly disappearing sweetness and fruit jam flavors. This is a coffee that intensifies greatly as it cools, so to truly appreciate it, focus on the taste as the cup loses temperature. This coffee is wonderful as SO espresso. Aleco tried a shot of this and proclaimed it the best SO espresso he's ever had!

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