Up until last year the only way to buy coffee from Ethiopia was to buy them through the Ethiopian coffee exchange (ECX). This meant that until now all the coffee we have had from Ethiopia has been a blend of various varietals and farms which has been mixed at the washing station as it has been impossible to buy directly from a farmer or small group of farmers. Last year the Ethiopian laws changed making it now possible to buy coffees directly from farmers.
This has opened up a whole new world of possibilities. We can now buy and taste coffees that have come from a certain varietal and a certain terroir. We were lucky enough to get one coffee like this last year called Operation Cherry Red. That coffee still lives strong in the memory as it was just incredible. This year, through Artisan Roast, we have brought in 2 coffees from Ethiopia that are very special that have come from this very new and exciting sourcing way that were bought at auction in 'The Ethiopian cup' auction. These coffees are at the very pinnacle of coffee quality and demand very high prices but we felt that it was more than worth it to share them with you.
From today our Ellon cafe has on the coffee menu Ethiopia Cup lot 7b : Tefera Kebede. This is a very exciting naturally processed coffee from Tefera Kebede’s farm in the Sidama zone of Southern Ethiopia. I could give you a lot more technical info about the varietals and the processing methods used but surely it is best to come in and try it and if you fancy read that at the same time.
I can tell you that when we tried it a few days ago and got the recipe dialled in to get the best out of it we were blown away by the sumptuous flavours and the incredible refinement in the cup. Often a naturally processed coffee can be big and bold in its flavour profile and we love it for that but this naturally processed coffee sat just a little back giving more of the refinement of a washed process with still the same bold fruit forward flavours. Enough of the talk, you are going to love it!
While Ellon has a naturally processed coffee, our Udny cafe has a delivery of a washed process Ethiopian coffee of the same vein being roasted for us today that will be with us by the end of the week. It promises an exquisite combination of breath-taking elderflower florals and decadent peach-like flavours that combine harmoniously. Sounds perfect!
We are very excited to bring you these coffees and can't wait to share them with you. They are a lot more expensive so there is a slight surcharge for the coffees. We have kept this well below the increase in price as we think it is so worth it just to share these incredible coffees with you.