Ethiopia Hambella Espresso

About this coffee

The collection and processing station at Hambella receives cherry from up 68 local small holders around the washing station through the months of November to January. The coffee is processed at the mill and dried on raised African beds, before being transported to Addis to be dry milled at Sibu Coffee Exporters. The mill was constructed in 2019 and completed prior to the harvest to allow capacity from the nearby mill to be tripled. We were lucky enough to be there to make the final inspection with Kedir prior to receiving the first cherries. While Ethiopia is famous as coffees birthplace, today it remains a specialty coffee industry darling for its incredible variety of flavors. While full traceability has been difficult in recent history, new regulations have made direct purchasing possible. Were partnering directly with farmers to help them produce top quality specialty lots that are now completely traceable, adding value for farmers and roasters, alike. The exceptional quality of Ethiopian coffee is due to a combination of factors. The genetic diversity of coffee varieties means that we find a diversity of flavor, even between (or within) farms with similar growing conditions and processing. In addition to varieties, processing methods also contribute to end quality. The final key ingredients for excellent coffee in Ethiopia are the producing traditions that have created the genetic diversity, processing infrastructure and great coffee we enjoy today. Most producers in Ethiopia are smallholders, and the majority continue to cultivate coffee using traditional methods. As a result, most coffee is grown with no chemical fertilizer or pesticide use. Coffee is almost entirely cultivated, harvested and dried using manual systems.