Ethiopia Danche

A floral coffee with notes of blueberry jam and cocoa.

Processing Station: Chelbesa
District: Gedeb
Variety: Heirloom
Processing: Natural

RRP 250g bag: NOK 232,-

Aside from its near-legendary status as the "birthplace" of Arabica coffee, there is much to love about Ethiopia as a producing nation, including, but not limited to, the incredible diversity of flavour and character found amongst micro-regions, especially within the southwestern Gedeo Zone of Yirgacheffe within the Sidama region – areas whose names alone evoke thoughts of the world's finest coffees. Coffee was literally made to thrive in the lush environment provided by Yirgacheffe's forests, developing nuanced floral characteristics, distinct sweetness, and effervescent acidity. However, coffee has also adapted to the more arid climate of Harrar, in the northeast of the country; the varieties planted there have historically had more chocolatey, rich undertones.

Processing, of course, also plays a significant role in what makes Ethiopian coffees distinct – both distinctly Ethiopian and different from one another, whether wet-processed or natural.

Until relatively recently, coffee grown by smallholder farmers and cooperatives in Ethiopia had to be sold through the ECX, where lots were classified by general region, quality (grade 1-5), and most traceability was lost. In 2017, Ethiopia's Prime Minister approved a reform allowing cooperative-run processing stations to export their coffee directly, enabling the separation of top coffee lots, higher prices for farmers, and increased recognition for Ethiopia's best quality coffees.

Better traceability allows us to buy more directly from the same processing stations year after year, opening up the potential for partnerships with individual farmers or smaller groups within a community, to select special lots.

This lot of coffee is from farms located in the Danche area, a few kilometres from the Chelbesa processing station in the Yirgacheffe region. It is managed by Negussie Debela Weldyes and is a natural processed coffee.