This coffee comes from Hambella, a sub-region of the famous Guji region of Ethiopia. In this area, thousands of local farmers sell their crops to a central washing station or processing unit, where they are sorted to be processed and dried. These farmers typically have no access to fertilizers or pesticides and therefore follow organic practices by default.
Most of these coffees are heirloom varieties, meaning they are from coffee plants that have grown naturally in these areas for hundreds of years, without independent evolution or hybridization. These coffees have so much mystique, as they are not as traceable as some coffees that come from one specific producer, but still yield incredible profiles that are sweet and balanced with juicy acidity and floral aromas.
Guji is a beautifully forested area in southern Ethiopia. Before the early 2000's, this region was considered part of Sidama, but has since become its own region. The people of Guji grow coffee gardens at very high altitudes in the rich red soil of the highlands, setting this coffee's profile apart from neighboring regions. These smallholders deliver their coffee to washing stations to be sorted and processed together, developing flavors of fruits, deep chocolate, and light florals.
