Did you hear, Ethiopia coffee season is here! Ethiopia season officially kicked off in April, and will continue through August. While there are some great Ethiopian offerings in our warehouses, more are arriving weekly. Check out some of our trader picks for their favorite Ethiopian coffee below! Don’t forget to reach out to your coffee trader to reserve your bags of Ethiopian coffee beans arriving soon!
Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee
Did you know that Ethiopia is considered the birthplace of coffee? Ethiopia also accounts for 99% of the genetic diversity in coffee varieties. This wide range of varieties, coupled with high elevation and advanced processing methods, result in Ethiopian coffee’s exotic and complex flavors. Ethiopian specialty coffee flavors are known to range from fruity and floral to sweet and earthy.
Ethiopia is one of the only places where coffee grows wild. Approximately 85% of Ethiopia’s coffee is produced by small farmers on less than 1 hectare of land.
Learn more about the history of coffee from Ethiopia in our Ethiopia coffee origin profile!
Our favorite Ethiopian coffee beans coming soon
Natural Ethiopian Coffee Beans
Ethiopia Natural Anaerobic Gera GR1 (Grain Pro)
The GERA Estate is located in the Djimma region of Ethiopia at altitudes over 2,000 meters above sea level. This altitude, combined with the nitrogen-rich plants and natural fertilizers provide excellent growing conditions for specialty coffee. No chemical fertilizers or insecticides are used. Production at GERA focuses on sustainability and good working conditions for its employees. The GERA Estate provides housing, childcare and education, clean drinking water, electricity, healthcare, and recreational facilities for all of its employees free of charge.
Organic Ethiopia Natural Sidamo GR3 Fair Trade Nura Korate (Grain Pro)
This lot comes from the Nura Korate Cooperative. This cooperative is under the umbrella of the Sidama Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (SCFCU). The SCFCU is a Cooperative Union which supports the Cooperatives in the Sidama region through education programs, exportation assistance, buyer/producer connections as well as infrastructure.
The Sidama region is located in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ Region (SNNPR), which borders Kenya and South Sudan. The SNNPR produces almost half of the coffee in Ethiopia, around 100,300 tons. We have been working with the Nura Korate Cooperative for many years and are still in love with this coffee!
Ethiopia Queen City Harrar (Grain Pro)
The Ethiopian Harrar Queen City brand has been developed in partnership with our supplier of Harrar coffees, Mr. Abdirashid Abdullahi.
The Queen City lots are set apart from other Harrar coffees due to the intensive sorting and defect screening that occurs as part of the initial collection of coffee. Most exporters selling Grade 4 Harrar will purchase a blend of high- and low-quality coffees from both East and West Harrar. Then they typically perform a minimal cleaning and sorting to remove foreign matter like rocks and sticks.
Queen City Harrar, on the other hand, is formed from by a collection of quality centric producers in Harrar and qc’ed at the wet and dry mill to maintain high quality.
Ethiopia Natural Sidamo Durato Bombe Kontama GR1 (Grain Pro)
In 2006 Daye Bensa Coffee was established by two brothers – Asefa & Mulugeta Dukamo who have been working within the Sidama region in coffee. They currently operating 16 washing stations and 4 dry mills within Sidama. The Durato Bombe is collected from approximately 626 farmers in Durato of Bombe Kebele (village) in the Bensa Woreda (district) of the Sidama zone. The village shares its name with the mountain of Bombe on which the coffee grows. Meticulous processing occurs at the Kontama mill where it is sun dried as whole cherry for 10-15 days creating a fruit-forward and complex flavor profile.
Ethiopia Natural Sidamo Guji Shakiso (Grain Pro)
There are few entrances to Guji–a distant and heavily forested swath of land stretching southeast through the lower corner of the massive Oromia region–and none of these routes are short, or for the queasy, in any way. Guji is heavy with primary forest thanks to the Guji tribe, a part of Ethiopia’s vast and diverse Oromo nation, who have for generations organized to reduce mining and logging outfits where they can, in a struggle to conserve the land’s sacred canopy. And yet the unmatched natural surroundings can be a hardship for farmers bringing coffee to market. Approximately 700 small farm holders bring cherry to the Shakiso washing station averaging about 2 hectares of land each.
Anaerobic Ethiopian Coffee Beans
Ethiopia Natural Anaerobic Yirgacheffe Worka Sakaro GR1 (Grain Pro)
Worka Sakaro is a small area in the Gedeb district close to Yirgacheffe. Worka Sakaro sits at a high altitude, about 2000 to 2200 meters above sea level. Approximately 300 small specialty coffee farm holders deliver cherry yearly to the local mill.
To produce this anaerobic lot, the process first starts with selecting the ripest cherries. To do this coffee producers use a brix meter to measure the mucilage content. The cherries will then be soaked in a tank to separate any possible floaters. The denser coffees sinks to the bottom and is then separated. The cherries are then transferred to raised beds immediately to remove any excess water. Next, the cherries are packed in special plastic bags to start the fermentation process. Right after 16 hours the fermentation process starts. Gas is removed from the plastic bags to start the anaerobic processing. Depending on the outside temperature and weather the fermentation could take anywhere from 3-7 days. Once the Ph level and color is met the coffee is then transferred to raised beds for final drying.
Washed Ethiopian Coffee Beans
Ethiopia Washed Sidamo Shantawene Abore GR1
This lot comes to us from approximately 500 small specialty coffee farms located 1920 – 2020 meters above sea level in Bombe Village, Ethiopia. These farmers deliver their ripe Ethiopian Heirloom, 74-110 and 74-112 varietal cherries to the Abore washing station in nearby Bensa, Ethiopia.
Abore gets its name from a bridge and a fountain located next to the washing station that was originally dedicated to a local chief in the area. Situated near the Bok Nora Waterfall, the Abore washing station is surrounded by vast and huge vegetation. Abore washing station is well known by the locals in the region and popular for its long history. Originally built and founded in 1997, many employees have been working there since it was founded.
Organic Ethiopia Washed Yirgacheffe GR2 Fair Trade OROMIA (Grain Pro)
Established in 1999, the Oromia Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union has quickly become the largest Fair Trade coffee producer in Ethiopia. The OCFCU was formed when 23,691 members of 35 small cooperatives came together with the goal of exporting their coffee directly to the specialty market. All six of their Oromia Highland Coffee varieties (Yirgacheffe, Sidamo, Limu, Lekemptl, Jima, & Harrar) are grown by indigenous farmers in the southwestern rainforests of Ethiopia. Oromia’s coffee is heirloom, forest-grown, & organic. In 2005, the cooperative was awarded first place for their unwashed coffee in the East African Fine Coffee Association cupping competition. Of the top ten qualifiers in the competition, three were Oromia members. Focusing on 100% organic production, Oromia produces approximately 70 containers annually and has over 7,000 members who are Fair Trade certified.
Decaf Ethiopian Coffee Beans
Ethiopia Royal Select MWP Decaf
If you’re looking for a decaf Ethiopian offering, look no further than the next two coffees!
This coffee comes from Sidamo, one of the zones of the Oromia Region of Southern Ethiopia known for producing some amazing natural coffees. This coffee tends to showcase some nice fruit-forward characteristics with a medium body.
Organic Ethiopia Natural Sidamo Royal Select MWP – Fair Trade
Established in 1999, the Oromia Coffee Farmers’ Cooperative Union has quickly become the largest Fair Trade coffee producer in Ethiopia. The OCFCU was formed when 23,691 members of 35 small cooperatives came together with the goal of exporting their coffee directly to the specialty market. All six of their Oromia Highland Coffee varieties (Yirgacheffe, Sidamo, Limu, Lekemptl, Jima, & Harrar) are grown by indigenous farmers in the southwestern rainforests of Ethiopia. Oromia’s coffee is heirloom, forest-grown, and organic. In 2005, the cooperative was awarded first place for their unwashed coffee in the East African Fine Coffee Association cupping competition. Of the top ten qualifiers in the competition, three were Oromia members. Focusing on 100% organic production, Oromia produces approximately 70 containers annually and has over 7,000 members who are Fair Trade certified.
Given the proud history of Ethiopian coffee, and the unique flavors and aromas of this cup, this Organic Ethiopian is sure to please even the most critical palate.