Before you buy
Good questions
Where coffee began.
Why Ethiopian coffee tastes like nothing else
Ethiopia is coffee's birthplace, and it never went through the varietal bottleneck the rest of the world did. While most producing countries grow a handful of cultivars, Ethiopian farms and forests hold thousands of native heirloom varieties — which is why one washing station can taste of jasmine and apricot while its neighbor tastes of bergamot and blueberry. No other origin has that genetic range to draw from.
Ethiopia Buku Abel is our current expression of it: 93 points on the cupping table, and the coffee we reach for when someone asks why people make a fuss about Ethiopia.
Brewing Ethiopian coffee
Pour over or drip first — the florals live at the top of the cup and filter brewing keeps them there. A 1:16 ratio with a slightly finer grind than you'd use for a chocolatey coffee rewards the delicacy. As espresso it turns jammy and intense: worth doing, but hear it as filter first.
What makes Ethiopian coffee special?
Genetic diversity no other origin has: thousands of native cultivars producing florals, stone fruit, and tea-like cups. Ethiopia Buku Abel, at 93 points, is the highest-scoring coffee on our shelf.
How do you brew Ethiopian coffee?
Filter first — pour over or drip at 1:16 keeps the florals intact. Espresso turns the fruit into something closer to jam. Every bag ships with a starting recipe.
What do the notes on the bag mean?
They're what our cupping table actually tasted, not marketing. Florals and apricot on the label mean a bright, perfumed cup rather than a chocolatey one — the fastest way to know if a coffee is for you.
Keep Reading
More on these coffees
What Is a Coffee Landrace?
A landrace isn't wild coffee and it isn't a named variety like SL-28. It's a crop population farmers keep reselecting...
What Is a Coffee Varietal?
A varietal is the kind of coffee plant the seed came from. The harder question is what that name is...
Why Is High-Altitude Coffee Better?
Growing higher raises the sugar in a coffee seed by a large, measurable amount. Elevation is standing in for temperature,...
