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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.


94

PERC Coffee Roasters

Ethiopia Hayissa Olocho Lot 6

Review Date: Dec 2022
Price: $27.00/10 ounces

Delicate, multi-layered. Narcissus, bergamot, cocoa nib, cedar, marjoram in aroma and cup. Richly sweet structure with bright, balanced acidity; plush, silky mouthfeel. Floral finish with ballast from cocoa nib.

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95

Small Eyes Cafe

Ethiopia COE #8 Sidama Arbegona Muluneh Tute Galcho 74158 Natural

Review Date: Dec 2022
Price: NT $1700/200 grams

Delicately fruit-toned, richly sweet. Dried peach, narcissus, almond butter, marjoram, honey in aroma and cup. Brightly sweet with juicy acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. The harmonious finish carries forward all the notes from the aroma and cup.

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94

JBC Coffee Roasters

Chelbessa Ethiopia

Review Date: Dec 2022
Price: $20.00/12 ounces
JBC Coffee Roasters Logo

Delicately fruit-toned, crisply sweet. Strawberry, cocoa nib, lemon verbena, hazelnut, freesia-like flowers in aroma and cup. Sweet structure with gently bright acidity; full, satiny-smooth mouthfeel. Cocoa and almond dominate the finish with undertones of strawberry.

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93

Cafe330

Single-Origin Ethiopia Espresso

Review Date: Dec 2022
Price: HKD $428/150 grams

Evaluated as espresso. Sweetly tart, richly chocolaty. Dark chocolate, orange zest, dried green apple, cedar, molasses in aroma and small cup. Richly drying mouthfeel; tart-leaning finish. Roundly sweet in three parts milk, which amplifies the molasses and chocolate notes.

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94

Buon Caffe

Ethiopia Gesha Village Illubabor Forest Lot 22/043 (Single-Terroir) Natural Process

Review Date: Dec 2022
Price: NT $299/100 grams

Elegantly sweet, fruit- and floral toned. Dried Bing cherry, star jasmine, cocoa nib, sandalwood, marjoram in aroma and cup. Sweetly tart structure with juicy, bright acidity; crisp, silky mouthfeel. Resounding and very long finish centered around notes of Bing cherry, cocoa nib, and star jasmine.

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94

Mostra Coffee

Ethiopia Gera Genji Challa

Review Date: Dec 2022
Price: $28.00/12 ounces

Delicately aromatic, complex. Lilac, cocoa nib, pink grapefruit zest, shishito pepper, apricot in aroma and cup. Sweetly tart with juicy, bright acidity; plush, syrupy-smooth mouthfeel. Floral finish with cocoa undertones.

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93

Buon Caffe

Ethiopia Guji Hamela Buku Abel Washed Process

Review Date: Dec 2022
Price: NT $329/8 ounces

Complex, delicate, sweetly tart. Star jasmine, pink grapefruit zest, white peach, cedar, bay leaf in aroma and cup. Crisp, sweetly tart structure with bright acidity; silky-smooth mouthfeel. Grapefruit, white peach and cedar notes lead in the layered finish.

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93

Buon Caffe

Ethiopia Sidamo Assefa 74158 SLD Natural

Review Date: Dec 2022
Price: NT $369/8 ounces

Richly sweet, cocoa-toned. Dark chocolate, dried apricot, hazelnut, freesia-like flowers, maple syrup in aroma and cup. Balanced, sweet structure with high-toned acidity; satiny-smooth mouthfeel. The finish is crisply chocolaty with undertones of dried apricot and hazelnut.

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95

Red Rooster Coffee Roaster

Ethiopia Uchoro Nansebo Washed

Review Date: Dec 2022
Price: $27.00/12 ounces

Elegantly bright, very balanced. Apricot, honeysuckle, almond brittle, dark chocolate, cedar in aroma and cup. Richly sweet structure with floral acidity; lively, silky mouthfeel. Long, lingering, complexly satiating finish.

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95

BEI Coffee Roasters

Nekisse Phantom Roasting

Review Date: Dec 2022
Price: HKD $650/150 grams

Richly floral-toned, vibrant. Star jasmine, wild strawberry, honey, dark chocolate, mustard seed in aroma and cup. Sweet-toned structure with delicately juicy acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. The flavor-saturated finish carries over all the notes from the cup.

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94

Angeles Roastery

Ethiopia BergWu Maker Series Yirgacheffe Wuri G1 Lot MW21/02

Review Date: Dec 2022
Price: HKD $128/200 grams

High-toned, richly bittersweet. Bergamot, lychee, star jasmine, cocoa nib, cedar in aroma and cup. Sweetly tart with juicy-bright acidity; very full, satinly mouthfeel. Crisp, tart finish with notes of lychee and cocoa nib.

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94

Regent Coffee

Yirgacheffe Mengesha Natural

Review Date: Nov 2022
Price: $20.50/12 ounces

High-toned, fruit-driven. Boysenberry, pear, cocoa nib, tangerine zest, pink peppercorn in aroma and cup. Sweetly tart structure with juicy-bright acidity; crisp, velvety mouthfeel. The finish consolidates to notes of boysenberry and tangerine zest with undertones of pink peppercorn.

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95

Paradise Roasters

Ethiopia Hamasho Washed

Review Date: Nov 2022
Price: $25.00/12 ounces

High-toned, juicy-sweet. Mango, cocoa nib, magnolia, lemongrass, pink peppercorn in aroma and cup. Sweet-tart structure with bright, balanced acidity; syrupy-smooth mouthfeel. Flavor-laden finish, long and lingering, centered around notes of mango and cocoa nib.

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95

Paradise Roasters

Ethiopia Idido Anaerobic Natural

Review Date: Nov 2022
Price: $20.00/6 ounces

Richly spice-toned, floral-driven. Bergamot, lilac, cocoa nib, blackberry, wild honey in aroma and cup. Complex, bittersweet structure with juicy, balanced acidity; plush, creamy mouthfeel. The long, flavor-saturated finish carries over all the nuance of the cup.

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94

Temple Coffee

Ethiopia Reko Yirgacheffe

Review Date: Nov 2022
Price: $23.50/12 ounces
Temple Coffee Roasters

Rich-toned, deeply floral. White peach, tea rose, cocoa nib, pink grapefruit zest, cedar in aroma and cup. Sweetly tart with high-toned acidity; satiny-smooth mouthfeel. Cocoa nib and tea rose characterize the quiet, confident finish.

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94

Genesis Coffee Lab

Double-Anaerobic Fermentation Tamiru Tadesse

Review Date: Nov 2022
Price: $40.00/10 ounces

Richly floral-toned, crisply sweet. Honeysuckle, lime zest, cocoa nib, marjoram, cedar in aroma and cup. Brightly sweet structure with juicy acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. The finish consolidates to notes of honeysuckle and lime.

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94

Jaunt Coffee Roasters

Ethiopia Chelbesa Danche Yirgacheffe

Review Date: Nov 2022
Price: $24.00/12 ounces

Elegantly sweet, floral-toned. Lilac, almond, pink peppercorn, apricot, nougat in aroma and cup. Balanced, sweetly tart structure with juicy acidity; syrupy, viscous mouthfeel. The finish consolidates to notes of sweet almond and pink peppercorn.

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94

Genesis Coffee Lab

Ethiopia Honey Process Tamiru Tadesse

Review Date: Nov 2022
Price: $35.00/10 ounces

Delicately fruit-toned, tisane-like. Dried strawberry, baking chocolate, lemon verbena, maple syrup, cashew butter in aroma and cup. Sweetly tart structure with gently bright acidity; silky mouthfeel. Pleasing, quietly berry-toned finish.

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93

Jaunt Coffee Roasters

Ethiopia Chelechele Yirgacheffe

Review Date: Nov 2022
Price: $23.00/12 ounces

Richly sweet, berry-toned. Blueberry pie, baking chocolate, lemon-thyme, agave syrup, cedar in aroma and cup. Sweet structure with gentle acidity; very full, creamy mouthfeel. Richly cedar-framed finish with undertones of crisp chocolate and dried blueberry.

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96

Roadmap CoffeeWorks

Ethiopia Halo Beriti

Review Date: Nov 2022
Price: $20.95/12 ounces

Richly floral, deeply savory, invitingly complex. Lilac, cocoa nib, strawberry guava, myrrh, salted caramel in aroma and cup. Sweet-savory structure with sparkling acidity; elegantly viscous mouthfeel. Long, lingering cocoa- and floral-toned finish.

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