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.
Price: $14.00/12 ounces
Sweetly nut- and cocoa-toned. Cashew butter, cocoa powder, magnolia, date, oak in aroma and cup. Sweet structure with gentle acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. Crisp finish with leading notes of cashew and cocoa powder that round toward sweet magnolia in the long.
Price: NT $400/222 grams
Fruit-forward, sweetly nut-toned. Blueberry, almond butter, baking chocolate, narcissus, cedar in aroma and cup. Sweet-toned structure with gentle, round acidity; full, creamy mouthfeel. The resonant finish centers around notes of blueberry and baking chocolate with undertones of cedar.
Richly aromatic, sweetly tart. Boysenberry, star jasmine, cocoa nib, almond nougat, a hint of wine barrel in aroma and cup. Tart-leaning structure with juicy, vibrant acidity; lush, syrupy mouthfeel. Notes of boysenberry and cocoa nib animate the crisply sweet finish.
Delicately sweet, spicy. Apricot, freesia-like flowers, hazelnut butter, pink peppercorn, cocoa nib in aroma and cup. Sweet-toned structure with lively, citrusy acidity; silky-smooth mouthfeel. Finish consolidates to notes of apricot and pink peppercorn supported by cocoa nib.
Richly sweet-tart, fruit-centered. Pomegranate, dark chocolate, toffee, cedar, narcissus-like flowers in aroma and cup. Tart-leaning structure with vibrant, juicy acidity; satiny-smooth mouthfeel. Finish consolidates to notes of pomegranate and cedar with dark chocolate undertones.
Delicate, sweetly herbaceous, caramel-toned. Lemon verbena, black tea, caramel, oak, a hint of honeysuckle in aroma and cup. Sweet-toned structure with gentle, round acidity; crisp, velvety mouthfeel. The quiet finish centers around notes of lemon verbena and caramel.
Deeply aromatic, richly sweet-tart. Dried ripe cherry, honeysuckle, almond butter, baking chocolate, wine barrel in aroma and cup. Sweetly tart structure with fruit-toned, winy acidity; full, syrupy-smooth mouthfeel. Finish consolidates to notes of almond butter and baking chocolate with support from dried cherry.
Delicate, high-toned, richly floral. Lilac, cocoa nib, dried apricot, sandalwood, a hint of coconut in aroma and cup. Sweet-tart structure with juicy acidity; plush, syrupy mouthfeel. Rich, deeply aromatic finish that carries over all the notes from the cup; lilac and cocoa nib, in particular.
High-toned, richly floral. Star jasmine, cocoa nib, bergamot, almond nougat, oak in aroma and cup. Sweet-tart structure with bright, juicy acidity; full, satiny mouthfeel. Inviting finish that leads with notes of jasmine and bergamot in the short, rounding to almond and cocoa nib in the long.
A ready-to-drink black coffee, tested cold. Notes of peach, pomegranate, a whiff of rum barrel, cocoa powder, jasmine. Sweet-tart structure with high-toned acidity; crisp, satiny mouthfeel. The acidy brightness fades in the finish, leaving pretty fruit notes (peach, pomegranate) with hints of vaguely fermenty sweetness we associated with rum barrel. In milk, fruit recedes and cocoa powder comes to the fore.
A ready-to-drink black coffee, tested cold. Rhubarb, Pinot Noir grape, cocoa nib, honeysuckle, sandalwood. Sweet-tart-savory structure with big, juicy acidity; viscous, syrupy-smooth mouthfeel. Finish consolidates to notes of rhubarb and cocoa nib with sandalwood undertones.
A ready-to-drink black coffee, tested cold. Rich, floral-toned, intricate and complex. Notes of wisteria, Keemun black tea, cocoa nib, Meyer lemon, frankincense. Crisp, tart-leaning structure with sweet undertones and juicy acidity; refreshing, velvety mouthfeel. Satisfying, lingering finish with notes of black tea and lemon. Stands up to milk with continued tartness and amplification of the cocoa note.
Price: $20.00/Four 12-ounce bottles
A ready-to-drink black coffee, tested cold. Chocolaty-rich, deep-toned. Dark chocolate, candied walnut, pear, baking spices, cedar. Sweet structure with gentle, round acidity; full, satiny mouthfeel. Resonant chocolate-toned finish with undertones of candied walnut and cedar. Milk makes the chocolate notes lift off in this developed roast profile.
A ready-to-drink black coffee, tested cold. Deeply sweet, caramel-toned. Dark caramel, vanilla bean, date, magnolia, fresh-cut oak. Richly sweet in structure with lively acidity; lightly velvety mouthfeel. Consolidates to dark caramel and vanilla bean in the finish. Milk gives this cold coffee a dessert-like quality.
Price: $15.00/20 ounces (2 types)
Richly sweet-savory, complex, nuanced. Butterscotch, hop flowers, sandalwood, dried apricot, candycap mushroom in aroma and cup. Bittersweet structure with gentle, round acidity; very full, syrupy-smooth mouthfeel. The resonant finish consolidates around notes of sandalwood and hop flowers with apricot undertones.
Delicate, deep, vibrantly sweet-tart. Lilac, dried apricot, cocoa nib, lemon verbena, cedar in aroma and cup. Sweet-tart structure with lively, bright acidity; plush, viscous mouthfeel. The resonant finish centers around notes of apricot and cocoa nib.
Deep-toned, fruit-centered, richly aromatic. Dark chocolate, black cherry, star jasmine, oak, almond brittle in aroma and cup. Sweet-tart structure with crisp, lively acidity; plush, viscous mouthfeel. Finish centers around dark chocolate and black cherry.
Price: $20.00/12 ounces
Fruit-toned, sweetly tart. Ripe raspberry, lemon zest, dark chocolate, cedar, magnolia in aroma and cup. Tart-leaning structure with juicy acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. The resonant finish leads with raspberry and citrus notes in the short, modulating to dark chocolate and cedar in the long.
Evaluated as espresso. Expressive, confident, lyrical. Lychee, dark chocolate, star jasmine, sandalwood, Meyer lemon in aroma and small cup. Lively, creamy mouthfeel; balanced, floral- and fruit-toned finish. In three parts milk, a liquid dessert: think fine chocolate and tropical fruit.
Price: NT $600/227 grams
Deeply sweet, fruit-forward. Grape candy, dark chocolate, grappa barrel, fresh-cut fir, gardenia in aroma and cup. Sweet-tart structure with gentle acidity; full, satiny mouthfeel. Crisp, dry, chocolaty finish with notes of sweet grape wafting up in the long, as well as sweet alcohol ferment.
