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: NT $350/227 grams
Deeply aromatic, complex. Bergamot, mulberry, tea rose, cinnamon, amber in aroma and cup. Delicately sweet-tart acidity; crisp, silky-smooth mouthfeel. Long, resonant, flavor-saturated finish.
Brightly sweet-tart, fruit-toned. Cocoa nib, dried pineapple, magnolia, sage, sweet cream in aroma and cup. Sweetly brisk acidity; plush, syrupy mouthfeel. The quiet finish consolidates to cocoa nib and cedar. With pineapple undertones.
Delicately sweet-tart, fruit-toned. Pluot, pomelo, pink peppercorn, cocoa nib, freesia in aroma and cup. Sweetly bright with citrusy acidity; very satiny, buoyant mouthfeel. Finish centers around notes of cocoa nib and pomelo.
Price: NT $340/8 ounces
Floral-toned, fruity. Raspberry jam, narcissus, dark chocolate, hazelnut, cedar in aroma and cup. Balanced, sweet-tart acidity; plush, syrupy mouthfeel. Raspberry and dark chocolate lead in the long finish, supported by hints of narcissus.
Bright, lively, flavor-intense. Sweet lime, freesia, cocoa nib, pink grapefruit zest, sandalwood in aroma and cup. Juicy, citrusy acidity; crisp, satiny mouthfeel. Tart fruit and rich florals carry the long finish.
Delicately sweet-tart, fruit-toned. Lychee, raspberry, cocoa nib, orange zest, cedar in aroma and cup. Sweet, gentle acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. Cocoa nib and raspberry notes lead in the pleasing finish.
Tropical, multi-layered. Guava, passion fruit, honey, cocoa nib, ginger blossom in aroma and cup. Apple-like (malic) acidity; plush, syrupy mouthfeel. Fruity, high-toned finish.
Price: NT 380/200 grams
Deeply sweet, fruit-driven, lively. Dried apricot, dark chocolate, marshmallow, hazelnut, pink grapefruit zest in aroma and cup. Sweet structure with bright, juicy acidity; full, satiny-smooth mouthfeel. The cleanly fruit-toned finish is supported by notes of hazelnut and dark chocolate.
Sweetly fruit-toned. Ripe blueberry, honey, cashew butter, lemon balm, baking chocolate in aroma and cup. Sweet-toned structure with juicy-bright acidity; lightly satiny, smooth mouthfeel. The finish is centered around notes of honey and cashew.
Brightly sweet-tart, balanced. Apricot, narcissus, tangerine zest, almond, cedar in aroma and cup. Juicy-bright acidity; full, syrupy-smooth mouthfeel. Resonant finish that leads with notes of apricot and almond.
Richly fruit-toned, elegantly restrained. Pineapple, cocoa nib, blackberry, lemon thyme, freesia in aroma and cup. Balanced, high-toned acidity; crisp, satiny mouthfeel. Pineapple and cocoa nib carry the long finish.
Complex, richly aromatic. Brandy barrel, dark chocolate, candied ginger, orange zest, hint of gardenia in aroma and cup. Briskly sweet acidity; plush, creamy mouth feel. Gently drying wood-framed finish with notes of brandy barrel and orange zest.
Evaluated as espresso. Delicate, gently roast-toned. Passionfruit, scorched cedar, violet, dark chocolate, musk in aroma and small cup. Crisply satiny mouthfeel; long, richly chocolaty finish supported by notes of violet and pleasingly smoky dark chocolate. In three parts milk, quietly complex and rich-toned.
Crisply chocolaty, deep-toned. Baking chocolate, date, apple blossom, orange zest, Brazil nut in aroma and cup. Brisly sweet acidity; crisp, satiny mouthfeel. Finish consolidates to notes of baking chocolate and orange zest.
Richly sweet-tart, citrusy. Wild honey, amber, Meyer lemon, lavender, cocoa nib in aroma and cup. Brightly sweet acidity; plump, viscous mouthfeel. Long, lingering, resonant finish.
Floral-toned, citrusy. Narcissus, tangerine, cocoa nib, pink peppercorn, cedar in aroma and cup. Sweetly tart with sparkling acidity; syrupy-smooth mouthfeel. Floral-toned cocoa notes anchor the resonant finish.
Brightly sweet-tart, rich-toned. Blackberry, hazelnut, lavender, dark chocolate, cedar in aroma and cup. Delicately high-toned acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. Resonant finish centered around notes of lavender and dark chocolate.
Price: NT$420/227 grams
Crisply sweet, cocoa-toned. Dark chocolate, dried apricot, hazelnut, freesia-like flowers, maple syrup in aroma and cup. Balanced, sweet structure with high-toned acidity; satiny-smooth mouthfeel. The finish is crisply chocolaty with undertones of dried apricot and hazelnut.
Evaluated as espresso. Aromatically rich, sweetly tart. Red grape, pomegranate, dark chocolate, cedar, lemon verbena in aroma and small cup. Creamy-smooth mouthfeel; fruit-toned, chocolaty finish. In three parts milk, dark chocolate and pomegranate notes carry forward.
Price: NT$450/454 grams
Evaluated as espresso. Crisply fruit-driven. Kumquat, baking chocolate, cedar, marjoram, molasses in aroma and small cup. Lightly satiny mouthfeel; crisply chocolaty, herbaceous finish. In three parts milk, chocolate and kumquat notes predominate.