Ethiopia Banko Natural

Blind Assessment: Richly pungent; deep, complex. Strawberry, cedar, night-blooming flowers, dark chocolate, a hint of brandy. Balanced, vibrant acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. Flavor, particularly chocolate, saturates a sweet, very slightly drying, finish.

Notes: This coffee is certified organically grown and Fair Trade certified, meaning it was purchased from small-holding farmers at a "fair" or economically sustainable price. It is a dry-processed or "natural" coffee, meaning the beans were dried inside the fruit rather than after the fruit has been removed, as is the case with wet-processed or "washed" coffees. Banko, established in 2012, is one of twenty-three primary cooperatives located in the Gedeo Zone of Southern Ethiopia that are organized as the Yirgacheffe Farmers Union. Olympia Coffee Roasting is a small-batch wholesale and retail roasting company with a youthful, no-nonsense style and a commitment to high-quality organic coffees. Visit www.olympiacoffeeroasting.com or call 360-753-0066 for more information.

Who Should Drink It : Environmentally and socially conscious hedonists. A lush, voluptuous, but cleanly structured dried-in-the-fruit coffee with the chocolate, flowers and brandy appeal of the type plus Fair Trade and organic certifications.