This coffee roasted by Truth comes from the celebrated Yirgacheffe region of Ethiopia. As far as we know at present, Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee. One day back in the 9th century a young Ethiopian goat herder noticed that his flock was acting strange after eating some berries from a shrub he was unfamiliar with. Curious, he tried them for himself and discovered the energy boost that coffee lovers have become so familiar with over the following centuries. Excited with his discovery, he took some berries to the local monks who, while initially sceptical, eventually soaked the berries in hot water. The resulting beverage gave them the energy to stay awake during long nights of vigilant prayer and tasted fantastic too, and the Ethiopian coffee tradition was born.

Or so the story goes. The veracity of its details is debatable, but what we can say for certain is that modern Ethiopia produces some of the best coffee in the world. This is partially due to the incredible genetic diversity of Ethiopian coffee plants. You may notice in the “Varieties” section in the notes below that this coffee is categorised as being made up of various heirloom varieties. This generic title is a catch-all term that accounts for the fact that Ethiopia is home to thousands of coffee plant varieties that regularly cross-pollinate and hybridise, making it difficult for producers to truly know a given plant’s exact genetic heritage. The result is that Ethiopian coffee is extremely genetically diverse, and can vary substantially from region to region, and farm to farm. One thing that remains consistent, though, is its quality.

The Yirgacheffe region is particularly famed for its coffee, often likened to the Champagne region of France, and for good reason. Coffees from Yirgacheffe can be subtle, complex and deeply flavourful, often offering bright citrus flavours, floral notes and a delicate, tea-like body. They’ve featured on the international competitive stage time and time again, and are lauded by specialty enthusiasts the world over. Yirgacheffe coffees are certainly a favourite at Cape Coffee Beans, and we’re always excited to share them with our customers. 

Truth’s notes

“Gerbota village lies close to the town of Yirgacheffe in the Gedeo zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ Region. Coffee is typically grown on a very small scale in the gardens of producers, where it is intercropped with other subsistence crops. Harvests are taken to the washing station where they are dried for 15 days within the compound itself, before being brought to the mill where selection takes place based on flavour profiles, qualities and processing.”

Coffee details

• Truth’s tasting notes: Chocolate, citrus, lemon, peach
• Country: Ethiopia
• Region: Yirgacheffe
• District: Gerbota Village
• Varieties: Ethiopian heirloom varieties
• Process: Washed process
• Altitude: 1900 - 2100masl