Ethiopia Guji Gerbicho Natural

Blind Assessment: Crisply sweet, cleanly fruit-toned. Dried strawberry, cocoa nib, honeysuckle, agave syrup, cedar in aroma and cup. Sweetly tart structure with crisp, apple-like acidity; satiny-smooth mouthfeel. The quiet finish evokes dried strawberry and wood-framed honeysuckle.

Notes: This coffee tied for the third-highest rating in a cupping of coffees submitted by North American roasters in business for two or fewer years for Coffee Review’s October 2019 tasting report. Southern Ethiopia coffees like this one are largely produced from distinctive indigenous Ethiopian varieties of Arabica long grown in the region. This is a dry-processed or “natural” version, 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. Souvenir Coffee, based in Berkeley, California goes by the motto, “People first, then coffee.” Visit www.souvenir-coffee.com for more information.

The Bottom Line: A fruit-forward natural processed Ethiopia cup with ballast from rich cocoa and floral suggestions throughout the profile.