Ethiopia's vast, vast history makes it one of (if not THE) most important origin in the specialty coffee world. Lauded as the birthplace of coffee, Ethiopia has 99% of the worlds diversity for coffee plants, a statistic which has a huge factor to play in the incredible range of flavour diversity we see in the origin; the massive amount of plants in Ethiopia are categorised as "Local Landrace."
Ethiopia is one of the biggest exporters of coffee, but coffee is just as important within the country as it is outside of the country - with coffee ceremonies still popular and the phrase "coffee is our bread," Ethiopia is the origin.
2022
BIFTU GUDINA
NOTES: floral, citrus, black tea
VARIETY: local landrace
REGION: Agaro
ALTITUDE: 1928 masl
PROCESS: washed
COOP MEMBERS: 600 farmers
HARVEST: 2022
The cooperative at Biftu Gudina has been on a journey over the past years, developing from producing lower grade naturals to the powerful flavour ranges they’re offering now. From the beginning however they’ve used eco pulpers, did water treatment, and have developed farmer training programs and traceability systems - work which goes a long way to create a more sustainable and transparent coffee world.
This basis for quality and knowledge has served them well, and now the coop are producing complex and delicate coffees like this Local Landrace washed offering, grown at 1928masl.
SUKE QUTO
NOTES: white peach, black tea, lemon
VARIETY: Kurume, Welicho
REGION: Guji
ALTITUDE: 1800 - 2200 masl
PROCESS: washed
PRODUCER: Tesfaye Bekele
HARVEST: 2021 - 2022
Fresh harvest for 2022 is in from Tesfaye Bekele and his farm Suke Quto in Guji region. This coffee has been a favourite of ours for quite some years now - it’s always great year after year. It’s a washed process made up of Kurume and Welicho varieties and grown at between 1800 and 2200 masl. It is a combination of cherries from Suke Quto and 278 outgrowers around the farm.
2021
SHAKISSO
NOTES: floral, vanilla, stone fruit
VARIETY: mixed heirloom
REGION: Shakisso, Guji
ALTITUDE: 1800 masl
PROCESS: washed
NO. OF SMALLHOLDERS: 300
HARVEST: 2020 - 2021
A lovely washed coffee to drink on those hot summer days (when you can get them). This year we have the pleasure of offering a coffee from the famous Shakisso farm owned by Haile Gebre - the so-called godfather of Guji coffee.
This lot is made up of cherry from 380 neighbouring outgrowers growing coffee at around 1800 masl in the Oromia region of Guji. The cherries are processed at the Shakisso washing station and then dry milled and exported by Haile, under his official business name Moredocofe. Trabooca then organises shipping, import and warehousing. It’s important to realise that this kind of transparency has not always been possible in Ethiopia and this is a great step forward!