This year, the search for our Christmas coffee took us to the heart of Ethiopia’s Yirgacheffe region, where we discovered a lot that feels like a warm embrace of the season. Its flavour profile is filled with notes of Candied Peel, Dry Sherry, Rhubarb Preserve, that remind us of laughter-filled gatherings around a cosy fire place, and the simple joy of festive indulgence.

A bit about the coffee:-

Ethiopian coffee production is profoundly influenced by the country’s three main seasons. The Bega season (October-January) is the long dry period, crucial for coffee harvesting and processing. The Belg season (February-May) brings the first rains, essential for coffee flowering and early fruit development. The Krempt season (June-September) sees heavy rainstorms from the east, crucial for the later stages of coffee fruit development and ripening. By the end of September, the rains cease abruptly, allowing the coffee fruits to ripen, leading to a bustling harvest period by November.

This lot is grown at an elevation of 2150-2200 MASL, encompasses a total parcel size of approximately 9000 kg. The coffee is naturally grown under the shade of trees, primarily Ensete (false banana tree). The coffee undergoes fermentation in plastic barrels for nine days, followed by a drying period of 13-18 days. It is stored in the site warehouse before being moved to Addis Ababa when ready. The processing methods are chosen to maximize quality. Once dried and stored, the coffee is transported to Moplaco in Gerji, Addis Ababa, and then moved to Djibouti via train for export.