Ethiopia Dembi Uddo Natural

We’ve got another eyebrow raiser from Ethiopia for y’all! This stellar natural process coffee originates from Dembi Uddo and neighboring villages in the famed Guji zone. Our export partner dabbles in all kinds of coffee in Ethiopia, but they certainly don’t mess around. Previously they’ve placed in Ethiopia’s Cup of Excellence competition, so we’re happy to share a more accessible cousin of coffees like those.

Sourced from forests in Hangadi, Tero, and Dembi Uddo villages, this lot is made up of cherries from over 750 farmers local to each area. The processing stations for this coffee have very strict quality standards to guarantee not only a decent cup, but also the highest pricing for cherries to ensure longevity and support for the local farming community. Quality control starts by placing the cherries into a water tank where the denser, ripe cherries sink to the bottom while the defective (underdeveloped, insect-damaged, over ripe, as well as other debris such as leaves and twigs) cherries float to the surface and are disposed of. After the separation process, the cherries are left on raised drying beds for 18-21 days for the signature natural process drying and fermentation. The first 2 days of the drying period are critical to the development of the coffee so the cherries are hand rotated every hour for consistent drying and even exposure to air and sunlight.

The result of this tedious work can be explosively “funky” or fruity, but with this coffee we taste easy-going amaretto flavors with a lovely, light tea-like body. This richness intertwines with whispers of flowers and citrus and rounds off with a subtle note of raspberry pie. It’s an easy sipper to enjoy every morning or even as an afternoon treat. We love this coffee on drip at our cafes and even more as a pourover; Chemex is our preferred method, but it also tastes wonderful on a V60.