Ethiopia Aricha

If you’ve been a single origin drinker for some time, then you know about the reputation of coffees from Ethiopia. Known as the birthplace of the coffee plant, the country is located on the east side of the continent, landlocked in the horn of Africa. The producers here grow unique coffees unlike those from anywhere else, and the history and culture of the people are steeped in coffee tradition. 

Sometime between the 7th and 9th century, wild coffee cherries in Ethiopia were harvested and eaten as a fruit, before being commodified and grown as a crop, or brewed as our favorite morning beverage. Once cultivated as a major agricultural product for the country, many farmers joined cooperatives that supported its members with funds to help assuage the constantly fluctuating market price of their crop. Many changes in policy and efforts of cooperatives in Ethiopia allow us greater access to lots out of the country today, and coffee from this origin has become a favorite of consumers and coffee workers for its floral and fruit forward tasting notes. 

This coffee comes from the southern part of Ethiopia, from the Aricha washing station, situated amongst the highlands of the Yirgacheffe region. The coffee was grown between 1900-2100 meters above sea level, and around 700 small holder farmers contributed their coffee to this processing station.   

The beans come from Ethiopian Heirloom variety coffee plants, meaning no one plant looks like the next. They are almost wild and have been made famous for their unique floral and berry tasting notes. The coffee cherries underwent a natural process after harvest with 48 hours of dry fermentation, allowing the flesh of the fruit to remain fully intact throughout the drying process. This increased earthiness, brightness, and sweetness in the roasted product. Once we roasted it here at Lucky Goat, we noticed tasting notes of Meyer lemon, blueberry, and turbinado sugar.