Ethiopia Okoluu

Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee, but it isn’t a major player in today’s specialty coffee scene because of its history—it maintains its status as the industry’s darling thanks to a diversity of flavors that’s hard to find elsewhere. The beans for this batch come from the Okoluu Farmers Group, which consists of 33 farmers who deliver their harvest to the washing station of the same name in the Guji region. Their plots are roughly two hectares in size, with coffee trees ranging from one to seven years old, growing at a staggering 2,000 to 2,150 meters above sea level. At the same time, the farmers are gradually transitioning to more resilient and higher-yielding varieties, which helps them improve both the quality and stability of their production. Agriculture in Guji, however, remains largely traditional.

Farmers commonly grow coffee trees alongside other food crops on the same plot—this is standard practice for small-scale growers, as it maximizes land use while also providing for their families. In the cup, all of this comes together in a sweet profile of strawberries and cream, held together by a fresh acidity reminiscent of fresh lime.