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Ethiopia Coffee

Courtesy of Kenneth Davids, 21st Century Coffee: A Guide

For many, the word Ethiopia provokes visions of deserts, droughts and famines. Yet the lush, green hills of southern and southwestern Ethiopiaare more likely to strike visitors who actually go there as paradisal. And, although Ethiopia remains among the world’s poorest countries per capita, for the coffee aficionado it is perhaps the richest place on earth, the source of some of the world’s most varied and distinctive coffees. Ethiopia typically generates about 4% of the world’s coffee, but all is Arabica and much of it is impressive to extraordinary.

Click here to view Ethiopia coffee ratings and reviews

Southern and Western Ethiopia

The producing regions of southern and southwestern Ethiopia in particular stand apart from the world’s other fine coffee origins. Witness:

  • The forests of southwestern Ethiopia are the original botanical home of Coffea arabica, and they continue to harbor most of the unexplored genetic diversity still existing in the species.
  • Much Ethiopia coffee is produced from indigenous Ethiopian varieties of Arabica; these native landrace varieties display symphonic complexities in aroma and flavor that, at their most distinctive, can make even other distinctive varieties of the world — like SL28 and Bourbon — seem a bit limited in sensory range. The only currently cultivated competitor to the finest native Ethiopian varieties in respect to cup and complexity is Geisha or Gesha, which is an Ethiopia variety (a particularly brilliant one) brought to the New World.
  • Export-quality Ethiopia coffees from the south and west are almost always free of significant processing or drying taints. Fruit removal for the wet-processed coffees of these regions is performed using classic ferment-and-wash techniques carried out at well-managed, centralized wet mills or washing stations. Dry or natural-process coffees intended for the specialty market are most likely prepared with analogous care.
  • Almost all Ethiopia coffee is grown by small-holding farmers, most of whom very likely have never used chemical inputs. Not only is this reassuring to consumers, but it also makes a transition to formal organic certification relatively easy, accounting for the widespread availability of superb organic-certified Ethiopias.
  • Ethiopians deeply care about coffee and understand it. Its lore is woven into their culture. They do not produce great coffee and then go home to drink tea, as Kenyans do, or instant coffee, as sadly occurs in many of the coffee world’s other coffee-growing regions. The Ethiopians themselves consume close to half of their country’s production, most of it roasted fresh.
  • Unfortunately for the many cash-poor villages of small-holding Ethiopia farmers, but fortunately for coffee lovers elsewhere in the world, most fine Ethiopia coffees are amazing bargains. A really distinguished coffee from the Yirgacheffe region is luminous, extraordinary, as great and distinctive as any in the world, yet it is likely to sell for routine, everyday specialty coffee prices.

The Harrar Exception

Note that these glowing affirmations apply mainly to the coffees of southern and western Ethiopia (traded through the capital Addis Ababa, including the most famous market names Yirgacheffe and Sidama/Sidamo) and not necessarily to the coffees of eastern Ethiopia, which are traded through the city of DireDawa and are sold under the market name Harrar (also Harar, Harer or Harari). Harrars more resemble the coffees of Yemen than the coffees of southern and western Ethiopia; they are produced from indigenous tree varieties naturalized to the rather arid growing conditions of the Harrar region and are almost always processed by the dried-in-the-fruit or natural method.

Unlike the relatively dynamic coffee industries of south and west Ethiopia, Harrar has languished over the past two decades with little innovation or improvement in quality. Many Harrar coffee farmers now prefer to grow khat, a tree whose fresh leaves are chewed as a stimulant, and which offers them year-round income rather than seasonal income, as does coffee.

At this writing, one only occasionally sees Harrar coffees in the North American specialty market, although they may be a bit more common in northern Europe. Hopefully Harrar will find the leadership and partners it needs to bring it back into specialty coffee as the great and honored origin it was 40 years ago.

Ethiopia Growing Regions

The coffee-name geography of Ethiopia is changing. Overlaid on the traditional regional names— particularly Yirgacheffe and Sidama (or Sidamo), both celebrated names in recent coffee history — are more lately established names for regions, zones and districts aimed at reflecting and honoring various Ethiopian traditional or tribal identities. These newer names form the backbone in the complex ECX grading system. On bags and websites, you may find the old, generalized regional naming or the newer, more ethnically correct terminology, or both. Or the main descriptor simply may consist of the name of one of the many well-known cooperatives or wet mills.

Ethiopia Coffee Ratings and Reviews

The Ethiopia coffees reviewed below are listed in reverse chronological order by review date. Only reviews published in the past five years are displayed. Click here to view older reviews of coffees from Ethiopia. Older reviews may no longer accurately reflect current versions of the same coffee.


95

Roadmap CoffeeWorks

Ethiopia Basha Bekele

Review Date: Apr 2023
Price: $23.00/12 ounces

Floral, fruity, chocolaty. Blueberry, star jasmine, dark chocolate, hazelnut brittle, pomelo in aroma and cup. Deeply sweet structure with sparkling acidity; plush, satiny mouthfeel. Chocolaty and fruit-toned in the very long and satisfying finish.

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93

Mellow Coffee

Ethiopia Diima Natural Process Benti Nenka, Hambela Wamena

Review Date: Apr 2023
Price: NT $500/8 ounces

Delicately sweet-tart, cocoa-toned. Cocoa nib, pineapple, narcissus, musk, cedar in aroma and cup. Intricately sweet structure with bright acidity; crisp, velvety mouthfeel. The quiet finish consolidates to cocoa nib, narcissus and cedar.

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92

Red Rooster Coffee Roaster

Ethiopia Worka Sakaro Brew Bag

Review Date: Apr 2023
Price: $21.00/10 single-serve brew bags

Evaluated in brew bag format with a steeping time of 5 minutes in 8 ounces of water. Bright, deeply fruity. Dried plum, cocoa nib, mandarin zest, freesia, oak in aroma and cup. Sweetly tart structure with crisp, citrusy acidity; very viscous, syrupy mouthfeel. Pleasing long finish consolidates to notes of dried plumand cocoa nib.

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91

Kakalove Cafe

Ethiopia Washed Brew Bag

Review Date: Apr 2023
Price: NT $30/1 single-serve brew bag
KakaLove Logo

Evaluated in brew bag format with a steeping time of 5 minutes in 8 ounces of water. Crisply sweet-tart, gently floral-toned. Freesia, baking chocolate, green grape, hazelnut, oak in aroma and cup. Sweetly tart structure with delicate acidity; crisp, satiny mouthfeel. Finish consolidates to notes of green grape and baking chocolate.

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89

Euphora Coffee

Ethiopia Natural Brew Bag

Review Date: Apr 2023
Price: $10.00/10 single-serve brew bags
Euphora Coffee

Evaluated in brew bag format with a steeping time of 5 minutes in 8 ounces of water. Sweetly fruit-toned. Raspberry, cashew, orange zest, caramel, bay leaf in aroma and cup. Sweet structure with brisk acidity; crisp, silky mouthfeel. The tart-leaning finish consolidates to notes of orange zest and bay leaf.

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95

Temple Coffee

Ethiopia Halo Beriti Single-Origin Espresso

Review Date: Apr 2023
Price: $24.00/12 ounces

Fruit-toned, chocolaty-rich. Boysenberry, dark chocolate, Laffy Taffy, pu’er tea, mandarinquat in aroma and small cup. Plush, creamy mouthfeel; crisply chocolaty and citrusy finish. In three parts milk, this coffee blooms and expands.

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94

Temple Coffee

Ethiopia Gora Kone

Review Date: Apr 2023
Price: $23.50/12 ounces
Temple Coffee Roasters

Elegant, high-toned, stone fruit-driven. Apricot, honeysuckle, cocoa nib, pink peppercorn, lime zest in aroma and cup. Sweetly tart with juicy, bright acidity; plush, syrupy-smooth mouthfeel. Floral- and cocoa-toned finish.

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92

Regent Coffee

Barrel-Aged Natural Guji

Review Date: Apr 2023
Price: $26.50/12 ounces

Richly fermenty, sweetly whiskey-toned. Bourbon barrel, dark chocolate, orange zest, amber, fir in aroma and cup. Sweet structure with brisk acidity; full, creamy mouthfeel. The gently drying finish is centered around Bourbon barrel notes.

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93

Uislandscafe

Ethiopia Washed Yirgacheffe Botabaa G1

Review Date: Mar 2023
Price: NT $460/200 grams

Floral-driven, crisply bright. Narcissus, apricot, cocoa nib, tangerine zest, agave syrup in aroma and cup. Sweetly tart structure with brisk acidity; full, syrupy-smooth mouthfeel. The finish leads with notes of narcissus and apricot with undertones of cocoa nib.

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95

Kakalove Cafe

Ethiopia Natural Guji Dasaya

Review Date: Mar 2023
Price: NT $290/8 ounces
KakaLove Logo

Balanced, floral- and fruit-driven. Dried cranberry, dark chocolate, almond butter, lilac, pink grapefruit zest in aroma and cup. Sweetly tart structure with balanced, bright acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. Cocoa- and floral-toned finish with undertones of hazelnut and Meyer lemon zest.

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95

Kakalove Cafe

Ethiopia Sidamo Rumudamo Premium

Review Date: Mar 2023
Price: NT $400/8 ounces
KakaLove Logo

Richly aromatic, brightly sweet. Honeysuckle, peach, Meyer lemon zest, pistachio, cedar in aroma and cup. Sweet-tart structure with elegantly bright acidity; silky mouthfeel. Long, lingering, flavor-laden finish.

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94

Heat Coffee

Ethiopia Guji

Review Date: Mar 2023
Price: NT $180/8 ounces

Deep-toned, bright and lively. Pomegranate, dark chocolate, pineapple saltwater taffy, almond butter, key lime in aroma and cup. Sweet structure with high-toned, balanced acidity; crisp, lightly satiny mouthfeel. The fruit-toned finish is complex and long, centered around notes of pineapple saltwater taffy, key lime and rich dark chocolate.

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91

Firelight Coffee

Ethiopia Idido

Review Date: Mar 2023
Price: $18.50/12 ounces

Crisp, delicate. Dried green apple, caramel, pecan, orange zest, maple syrup in aroma and cup. Sweetly tart with gentle acidity; full, satiny-smooth mouthfeel. The quiet finish is balanced and friendly.

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95

JBC Coffee Roasters

Worka Sakaro Ethiopia

Review Date: Mar 2023
Price: $20.00/12 ounces
JBC Coffee Roasters Logo

Deeply sweet, intensely aromatic. Dark chocolate, pink peppercorn, wisteria, apricot, myrrh in aroma and cup. Richly sweet-toned in structure with lively, juicy acidity; syrupy-smooth mouthfeel. The finish is long and lingering: flavor-saturated, chocolaty, floral-toned.

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93

Rusty Dog Coffee

Ethiopia Keramo Natural

Review Date: Mar 2023
Price: $20.50/12 ounces

Gently fruit-driven, spice-toned. Raspberry jam, white pepper, magnolia, cedar, cane sugar in aroma and cup. Sweet-toned structure with gentle, round acidity; very full, syrupy mouthfeel. The resonant finish consolidates to notes of raspberry and cedar.

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95

Kakalove Cafe

Ethiopia 2022 COE #3 Washed Temam 74110

Review Date: Mar 2023
Price: NT $1,250/4 ounces
KakaLove Logo

Richly sweet, spice-toned. Bergamot, nectarine, almond butter, cocoa nib, star jasmine in aroma and cup. Sweet-toned structure with gently bright acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. Focused, juicy finish centers around notes of bergamot and cocoa nib.

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93

Buon Caffe

Ethiopia Guji Shakiso Mulish Washed

Review Date: Mar 2023
Price: NT $320/8 ounces

Richly floral, deeply aromatic. Narcissus, raspberry, cocoa nib, thyme, maple syrup in aroma and cup. Sweetly tart structure with bright, juicy acidity; full, syrupy-smooth mouthfeel. The finish leads with notes of narcissus and raspberry and undertones of cocoa nib.

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94

Olympia Coffee

Ethiopia Gatta Anaerobic

Review Date: Mar 2023
Price: $34.50/12 ounces

: Anaerobic intrigue, gracefully balanced. Delicately tangy/tart, sweetly herb- and cocoa-toned. Clove, cocoa, tangerine zest, honey, orchid in aroma and cup. Lightly juicy and sweetly tart in structure; satiny in mouthfeel. The finish is cocoa-centered yet deeply and subtly nuanced.

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95

Red Rooster Coffee Roaster

Ethiopia Dinkalem Ademe Wush Wush

Review Date: Mar 2023
Price: $28.00/12 ounces

Cleanly fruit-toned, crisply chocolaty. Date, pomegranate, cocoa nib, maple syrup, fresh-cut oak in aroma and cup. Sweet structure with high-toned, balanced acidity; viscous, syrupy mouthfeel. Long, resonant, flavor-laden finish.

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94

Caoban Coffee

Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Adame G1 Natural

Review Date: Mar 2023
Price: NT $550/8 ounces

Gently sweet-tart, floral-toned. Pomegranate, wisteria, pistachio, lime zest, fresh-cut oak in aroma and cup. Crisply sweet-tart structure with delicately bright acidity; satiny-smooth mouthfeel. The tart-leaning finish leads with notes of pomegranate and lime zest, with undertones of oak and pistachio.

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