Yabitu Koba, Ethiopia

At some of Ethiopia’s most extreme altitudes lies Guji’s Uraga region- a dense, mountainous forest that spans almost a thousand miles. Within this immense forest lies an array of distinct subregions, where some of the most extraordinary and sought-after coffees in the world are born.

At the Muda Tatesa washing station, farmers deliver their ripe cherries for processing. Freshly de-pulped coffee is left submerged underwater for an extended 72 hours to slowly ferment and loosen the sticky fruit. Coffees are then washed vigorously in elongated channels while also being selected for quality. The less dense Grade 2 quality beans are sifted off the top of the channel and taken to their own drying stations. The denser Grade 1 coffees eventually make it to a soaking tank where they’ll sit overnight, removing any excess mucilage from the seed, before they’re sent to the drying beds. The parchment coffee is covered in mesh for the first 5-6 days in order to avoid cracking and direct exposure to sunlight, which can damage the integrity of the beans.

After this first drying period, the coffee is then opened to sunlight and left to dry for another 5-6 days before being conditioned in the storage warehouse for upwards of a month. The resulting coffee is profoundly nuanced with a heavy floral aroma, intense and complex acidity, and tropical sweetness.