Ethiopia holds a unique place in coffee history as the Coffea Arabica species may be directly traced back to the forests of southern Ethiopia. The African country is undoubtedly a global coffee leader but within its borders, coffee is treated as more than just an agricultural product. Communities gather to share coffee via the living tradition of Jabena bunna, where families roast green beans over an open flame, hand-grind beans before brewing in a clay Jabena pot. 

The East African nation's coffee is favoured due to a wide genetic diversity which results in an array of different flavours in the cup. In particular, harvests from the Yirgacheffe region are highly sought-after by specialty coffee lovers. Situated at roughly 2,100 metres above sea level, the region's high altitude and cool temperatures allow cherries to gently mature under the shade of indigenous trees. Inside Yirgacheffe lies the Gedeb area, close to the south-eastern border of Oromia where the Eva Gotiti washing station processes coffee from nearly a thousand smallholder farmers. 

Many top-quality coffees come out of the Southern Ethiopian district, aided by the work of the Jimma Agricultural Research Centre. Composed of heirloom JARC varieties, the coffee cherries were fully washed at Eva Gotiti to remove all mucilage before fermentation. Afterwards, the cherries are washed again before being dried. Quaffee sourced this coffee via And Sons, and lightly roasted it.

Phaedon's tasting notes

There is just something special about an archetypal Yirgacheffe. I never fail to enjoy them. They hit hard by being subtle and delicate, qualities that are more unusual in specialty coffees these days. This Eva Gotiti lot shows off those wonderful florals that make many fall in love with coffees from the region. Somewhat flowery, somewhat tea-like, the aromatics are really the stars of the show, but the subtle fruit flavours and hints of citric acidity only add to the pleasure of the clean cup. I thoroughly enjoyed it in every brew method.

Quaffee’s notes

“The coffee we are offering is a Specialty-grade washed Ethiopian coffee from the Eva Gotiti washing station in Gedeb. Notes of Earl Grey, lime, apricot, blueberry and jasmine. SCA cupping score 88.”

• Taste profile: Blueberry, brown sugar and a hint of vanilla
• Roast used: A gentle decreasing ramp rate, with extension of the development stage to encourage sweetness.
• Roast degree: Cinnamon (118) – using my-tonino.com
• Quaffee brews:
• Espresso: 1:2.3
• AeroPress: 18g:200g (finer)
• Plunger: 50g:800g
• Pour over/filter : 19g:300g (45 second bloom, 3.5 minute brew time)

Coffee details from Quaffee

“Eva Gotiti, a small 2 hectare washing station established in 2022 in Gedeb, punches above its weight with coffees that do too. Each season around 900 subsistence farmers deliver approximately 500–600 tons of cherry to the station for processing.

Once there, cherries are cleaned to remove debris, washed, pulped, and fermented for 12-16hrs. They then get washed a second time and are dried on raised beds for 10-14 days before being packed and stored.”

• Region: Gedeb District, Gedeo Zone, Yirgacheffe
• Country: Ethiopia
• Farmers: Approximately 900 subsistence smallholder farmers
• Cultivar: 74110, 74112, 7454 (JARC-released Ethiopian heirloom selections)
• Altitude: 2,000–2,100 masl
• Processing: Washed — pulped, fermented 12–16 hrs, double-washed, dried on raised beds for 10–14 days
• Packaging: GrainPro

Quaffee transparency details

• Sourced from: Falcon Coffee via And Sons
• FOB price: $13.79
• Cupping score: 88 (Falcon)
• Producer: Eva Gotiti washing station
• Lot size: 1 x  60kg bag
• Relationship: [Quaffee] have been purchasing coffee from Falcon Specialty and And sons for well over a decade