Ethiopia Yabitu Koba

Uraga, perched high in the Guji highlands, stands as one of Ethiopia’s most compelling coffee landscapes. At elevations well above 2,000 meters, its forests and volcanic soils shape coffees that feel crystalline and alive—bright with citrus and tropical acidity, laced with jasmine and lilac florals, and anchored by a sweetness that lingers like stone fruit and honey. These are coffees that push Guji into its own mythic space, distinct from Yirgacheffe yet carrying that same ethereal clarity, reminding us why Ethiopia remains the wellspring of coffee’s most transcendent expressions.

In Ethiopia, farm sizes are exceptionally small. Most families tend just a few hundred trees, cultivated in garden-like plots beneath a canopy of native forest. Yet despite their scale, these family-managed, organic farms consistently yield coffees that embody the inspiring, ancestral qualities of Ethiopian terroir.

Several hundred of these smallholder farmers deliver ripe cherries to the Yabitu Koba Washing Station, one of the highest in the country. There, coffees are hand-sorted, de-pulped, and fermented in water for 36–48 hours before being dried slowly and carefully to optimal moisture. The process is simple, intentional, and built to let the coffee speak for itself. What emerges in the cup is a pure expression of Yabitu Koba: clarity, complexity, and a lingering sense of wonder.

Altitude: 2100-2300 meters

Varietals: Ethiopia Landraces

Process:
Sorted and depulped, wet-fermented for 36-60 hours, dried on raised beds

Harvest: November - January 2025

Region: Uraga, Guji Zone

Each year Ethiopian coffee surprises us: it continues to deliver flavors and profiles that sing with elegance and complexity. This year, we focused on refining our purchases to once again highlight the terroir of various producing zones, each expressing their unique voice in the cup. Uraga’s Yabitu Koba washing station displays profound floral aromatics of jasmine and lilac, combined with the vibrant acidity of yuzu and refreshing summer watermelon, finishing with elegant tones of dried apricot.