Ethiopia | Sidama

Quick Notes:

QUALITY: Ethiopia is the birthplace of the coffee plant. The heirloom varieties of Ethiopia are coffee in its original “wild” state, boasting vibrant fruit tones, accentuated by the natural processing of the raw coffee cherry. Freshly picked coffee cherries are placed on raised drying beds and carefully monitored over two weeks to allow the sugar content to seep into the coffee seed (or “bean” as we call it in finished form)

PEOPLE: This coffee was sourced by our friend Samuel Demisse, an Ethiopian immigrant who began an importing business in the US dedicated to sourcing high quality coffees with transparent and ethical supply chains. Pickers and sorters on the ground are paid 3x the average wage, and year after year growers are compensated well above market rate for their crops.

ENVIRONMENT: All coffees are shade-grown without the use of harsh pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. The natural processing of the coffee cherries saves millions of gallons of water each year, which is vital for the arid Ethiopian climate.

More About Sidama – Mesela

Samuel Demisse was born and raised in Ethiopia. His father was a coffee professional and taught him about the industry at a young age. After immigrating to the United States, Samuel founded Keffa Coffee, an importer focused on supporting and sustaining coffee growers by working with origin partners who pay higher than average wages and treat workers fairly. On the ground in Ethiopia, Keffa’s licensed Q-grader Tsega Melesse cups every lot before it is prepped for export to ensure the highest quality standards. She also coordinates export logistics.

This exceptional offering from the Sidama region is the epitome of Samuel and the Keffa team’s relentless pursuit of quality and traceability. It is composed of the very best smallholder offerings from the growers of Mesela, a small town in the Oromia District. The harvest is naturally processed on raised drying beds utilizing a drying process that Keffa has been optimizing for over a decade; producing brighter, sweeter, cleaner coffees year after year.