Our Coffees
The flavour profiles of Ethiopian coffee are hugely varied, not just by region but by altitude, temperature and soil type. Particular coffees are typically named according to the broader varietal, such as Yirgacheffe, Guji or Sidamo, followed by the specific growing location, often the local kebele (equivalent of a parish) where they came from. Our washing stations in the south produce a number of different Yirgacheffe and Guji coffees, while our farm in the southwest produces Anderacha coffee.
Yirgacheffe
In the heart of the fertile highlands of the Rift Valley lies the small town of Yirgacheffe, which gives its name to what is perhaps Ethiopia’s best-known coffee. Yirgacheffe, in the Gedeo zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples’ Region (SNNPR), is one of the country’s three trademarked coffee origins along with Sidamo and Harar, previously grouped under Sidamo but now recognised as its own type. The combination of altitude, ample rainfall and rich soil makes this some of the best coffee growing country in the world, producing full-bodied coffee with strong floral and citrusy flavours.
Although the region is relatively small, variations in conditions mean that it produces a range of different flavour profiles. We source our Yirgacheffe from three sites, two of which provide the increasingly sought-after sub-varietals Kochere and Gedeb, both named after the particular area in which they are grown.
Typical cup profile: well balanced with complex acidity, bright lime, sweet lemon, florals.
Although the region is relatively small, variations in conditions mean that it produces a range of different flavour profiles. We source our Yirgacheffe from three sites, two of which provide the increasingly sought-after sub-varietals Kochere and Gedeb, both named after the particular area in which they are grown.
Typical cup profile: well balanced with complex acidity, bright lime, sweet lemon, florals.
Guji
Like Yirgacheffee, Guji coffee varieties used to be grouped together under Sidamo classification, but in fact the flavour profile of Guji, not to mention the area itself, is very different from its counterparts. Although not far from Yirgacheffe as the crow flies, the Guji zone is part of an entirely different region, Oromia. The Oromo people in these parts have a long history of coffee cultivation, with the crop accounting for the majority of household incomes. We have three sites producing Guji, with Hambella and Shakiso among the sub-types you might recognise as their own distinct offering.
Typical cup profile: apricot, caramel, cardamom, mango, jasmine, creamy, orange liqueur.
Typical cup profile: apricot, caramel, cardamom, mango, jasmine, creamy, orange liqueur.
Anderacha
Anderacha is part of the Kaffa zone, a richly forested coffee growing region at the western end of SNNPR with the added romance of being the likely birthplace of coffee. At Ethio Gabana, Anderacha has a special place in our hearts as our one coffee plantation and our first site, producing fine specialty coffee with a rich flavour profile.
Typical cup profile: orange blossom, dark honey, red berries.
Typical cup profile: orange blossom, dark honey, red berries.
