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.
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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.
Evaluated as espresso. Bright, sweetly tart, floral- and nut-toned. Nougat, cherry, wisteria, almond wood, sweet lime in aroma and small cup. Nicely syrupy, crisp mouthfeel. The finish simplifies around an attractively tart and nutty resonance. The florals, tart elegance and rich-toned nuttiness carry with grace and delicacy into three parts milk.
Richly sweet-tart, high-toned. Cacao nib, pie cherry, lilac, cedar, nougat in aroma and cup. Sweet-tart structure with juicy, vibrant acidity; crisp, velvety mouthfeel. The resonant finish centers around notes of tart stonefruit and cacao nib.
High-toned, sweetly tart, deeply savory. Jasmine, dark chocolate, lemon verbena, pink grapefruit zest, candycap mushroom in aroma and cup. Balanced sweet-tart-savory structure; lyrical, syrupy-smooth mouthfeel. The flavor-saturated finish leads with citrus notes (lemon verbena, grapefruit) in the short, rounding to deep chocolate and sweet mushroom in the long.
Cleanly fruit-toned, deeply rich. Dried raspberry, toffee, molasses, cedar, narcissus-like flowers in aroma and cup. Sweet-toned structure with brisk acidity; creamy-smooth mouthfeel. Impressively resonant, multi-layered finish.
Crisp, citrusy, deeply sweet. Lemon verbena, cacao nib, agave syrup, cedar, freesia-like flowers in aroma and cup. Sweet-tart structure with high-toned, lively acidity; full, viscous mouthfeel. The finish consolidates to notes of citrus-toned cocoa and freesia.
Price: NT $450/227 grams
Fruit-driven, sweetly savory. Dried raspberry, baker’s chocolate, hop flowers, grappa barrel, cedar in aroma and cup. Bittersweet structure with round, accessible acidity; full, viscous mouthfeel. Finish consolidates to notes of raspberry and lily with a hint of grappa barrel.
Price: $21.00/12 ounces
Complex, chocolaty, richly sweet. Dark chocolate, guava, butterscotch, honeysuckle, ginger blossom in aroma and cup. Sweetly tart structure with high-toned acidity; crisp, syrupy mouthfeel. Long, resounding finish that carries over all the notes from the cup, in particular foregrounding guava and dark chocolate.
Price: NT $300/8 ounces
Delicately fruit-toned. Persimmon, rose hips, cacao nib, lemon verbena, saltwater taffy in aroma and cup. Balanced, sweet-savory structure with fruit-driven acidity; vibrant, syrupy mouthfeel. The finish consolidates to persimmon and rose hips with cocoa undertones.
Subtly and sweetly intense: flowers and cocoa. Lavender, cocoa, honey, candied nut, lemon zest, much more in aroma and cup. Richly and sweetly pungent in structure; light though plush and satiny in mouthfeel. A quiet, layered finish consolidates around lemon and lavender.
Price: $18.00/12 ounces
Deeply sweet, elegantly rich. Mulberry, sandalwood, tangerine zest, jasmine, baking spices in aroma and cup. Sweetly tart in structure with high-toned, juicy acidity; plush, syrupy mouthfeel. The seemingly infinite finish fulfills the promise of the cup, leading with deep berry and citrus zest, rounding to floral-toned spice.
Deeply rich, sweet, complex. Cocoa nib, ripe persimmon, tangerine zest, gardenia and myrrh in aroma and small cup. Rich, lightly velvety mouthfeel; crisp, cocoa-toned finish. In three parts milk, aromatics carry through distinctly with balanced pungency and sweetness.
Richly sweet, fruit-forward. Dried peach, baker’s chocolate, jasmine, cedar, molasses in aroma and cup. Sweetly tart structure with bright, juicy acidity; crisp, satiny mouthfeel. Long, lingering finish that centers around dried peach and chocolate notes, supported by cedar-like wood.
Price: $206.00/8 ounces
Richly sweet, fruit- and floral-toned. Blueberry, narcissus, agave syrup, sandalwood, dark chocolate in aroma and cup. Sweet in structure with gentle, round acidity; plushly syrupy mouthfeel. The resonant finish leads with notes of blueberry and narcissus in the short, rounding to aromatic wood-framed chocolate in the long.
Sweetly floral and richly resinous. Cedar, lemon zest, dried jasmine, cacao nib, loquat in aroma and cup. Delicate, sweetly brisk in structure; silky and lively in mouthfeel. Flavor consolidates around cedar and cocoa in a crisp, drying finish.
Evaluated as espresso. Richly roast-toned; floral and chocolaty. Gently scorched cedar, baker’s chocolate, narcissus-like flowers, mango, spearmint in aroma and small cup. Satiny mouthfeel; chocolate and spicy roast notes carry in a dry but lasting finish. The crisp chocolate dominates in three parts milk, with continuing hints of flowers and mango-like fruit.
Price: $15.00/12 ounces
Deeply sweet, fruit-toned, with a hint of sweet ferment. Baker’s chocolate, plum, narcissus, barrel-aged rum, cedar in aroma and cup. Sweet-toned structure with brisk acidity; full, satiny mouthfeel. Richly drying, flavor-saturated finish.
Richly sweet, cocoa-toned. Dark chocolate, apricot, hazelnut, lilac, maple syrup in aroma and cup. Balanced, bittersweet structure with rounded acidity; satiny-smooth mouthfeel. The finish is thoroughly chocolaty with undertones of apricot and hazelnut.
Deeply sweet, intensely pungent. Dark chocolate, pink grapefruit zest, wisteria, maple syrup, myrrh in aroma and cup. Deeply sweet-toned in structure with lively, juicy acidity; syrupy mouthfeel. The finish is long and satisfying: flavor-saturated, floral-, chocolate- and fruit-toned, harmoniously balanced.
Price: HK $125.00/250 grams
Evaluated as espresso. Deeply sweet, richly tart, pungent. Dark chocolate, jasmine, mango, green tea, tangerine zest, cedar in aroma and small cup. Full and syrupy though slightly rough mouthfeel. The finish consolidates around quiet cocoa and citrus. Flowers and green tea in particular carry into three parts milk.
Evaluated as espresso. Complex, juicy, richly tart. Almond, dark chocolate, guava, tangerine zest, star jasmine in aroma and small cup. Light, very silky mouthfeel; chocolate, fruit and flowers all carry into a cleanly sweet, delicately drying finish. Flavor-saturated in three parts milk: almond, chocolate, guava, flowers all resonate in rich, custardy balance.