Ethiopia, Koke Grade 1, Yirgacheffe (Natural)

Yirgacheffe, or "Land of Many Springs," is renowned for its exceptional coffee, located in the Gedeo Zone of Ethiopia's Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region (SNNPR), about 409 km from Addis Ababa. With a population of nearly 200,000, mostly in rural areas, farmers are often multi-generational smallholders who sell their cherries to washing stations that refine quality. Known as the birthplace of coffee, Yirgacheffe features heirloom varieties grown in fertile red-brown soil under shade trees, benefiting from an average annual rainfall of 1,525 mm and temperatures around 18.4°C.

Farmers hand-pick ripe cherries every eight to ten days, typically harvesting 100 to 200 pounds daily. The Koke washing station, established in 2011, has significantly improved since 2015 through quality guidance for farmers. Ally has collaborated with Koke for over five years, focusing on higher elevation cherries, and this season involved contributions from 96 multi-generational family farmers.

Country: Ethiopia

Region: Yirgacheffe

Process: Natural

Variety: Kurume, Dega, Wolisho

Elevation: 1800 masl

Tasting notes: white grape, grapefruit and dark chocolate