Believed to be the birthplace of coffee as we know it, Ethiopia is one of the best-known and appreciated origin countries in the world of specialty coffee. It’s certainly a favourite single origin at Cape Coffee Beans, typically offering fruit flavours and floral aromatics with a pleasantly bright acidity. This particular Ethiopian lot, roasted by our friends at Rosetta Roastery, comes from Guji Zone, which, like Sidamo and Yirgacheffe, is one of Ethiopia’s most celebrated coffee producing regions. 

The Guji Zone’s coffee history spans back centuries. Historians currently hold that modern Guji was where Ethiopia’s indigenous Oromo people first settled some 500 years ago, and today Oroma people still make up most of Guji’s population. With its high altitude, fertile soil and suitable climate, Guji offers ideal growing conditions for coffee. Indeed, the local population has grown coffee in Guji for centuries, and smallholding farmers still rely on traditional farming methods that remain effective to this day.

This coffee, exported by SNAP Coffee Exporters, was processed at Raro, a wet mill found in Guji’s Uraga region. Raro purchases coffee cherry from some 670 local smallholding farmers, and typically produces around 800 60kg bags of coffee per year. SNAP holds its producers to a high standard, ensuring consistently top-quality yields, and supports them directly with farming and processing training, and by building roads between washing stations and less accessible farms. Furthermore, through profits gained by partnering with SNAP, local washing stations have built schools for their communities fitted with computers and other educational facilities provided by SNAP.

Phaedon's tasting notes

My first note on this coffee was, "like old times." Though a little sappy and sentimental, it was the first thought that popped into my head as I had that 5:30 in the morning, first sip of my Chemex brew for two. You see, Rosetta's Ethiopian offerings have a special place in my heart. They were part of some important early specialty coffee experiences that I enjoyed as I embarked on the crazy adventure that turned into Cape Coffee Beans. The first sip of this coffee reminded me of some of the Rosetta Ethiopians I tasted back then.

The characteristics echo not only the past, but also the Ethiopian coffee archetype: tea-like & floral aromas and subtle stone fruit flavours. I picked up peach where our friends at Rosetta taste apricot, but that may be splitting hairs; there's definitely some stone fruit in there.

I will say that where this coffee differs a little from previous examples you may have tasted, is that it has a fair bit of body and brown-sugar sweetness, to accompany all those more typical qualities. That makes for a lovely Chemex, and siphon brew; I can tell you that much.

Rosetta Roastery's notes

Style: Progressive
Flavour profile: Radiant florals, sweet apricot, fruit-tea finish

“This lot shines with the vibrant floral aromatics, sweet apricot, and light, fruit-tea finish. Foregoing an extended development phase, we instead opt for a short, more aggressive, roast profile, which puts an emphasis on the coffee’s gentle body and lively acidity, making it a standout choice for filter coffee enthusiasts.”

Coffee details from Rosetta

“The Uraga Raro Washing Station, located in the Guji Zone, is celebrated for producing outstanding coffees, with each season raising the bar and setting a new standard of quality. The station’s prime location on a sunlit hill, exposed to cool winds, and its lofty altitude above 2470m shaped the unique flavour and complexity of this lot. 

“Owned by SNAP Coffee exporters, [Raro] sources cherries from around 1500 neighbouring farmers who cultivate their crops in rich, fertile soil and adhere to farming practices of an extremely high standard.”

• Altitude: 2470 masl
• Processing: Washed
• Varieties: Ethiopian Heirloom Varieties
• Region: Uraga, Guji Zone
• Country: Ethiopia
• Producers: Smallholder farmers of the Uraga Raro Washing Station
• Harvest: 2023