Behind the bean: our direct-trade Ethiopia Yirgacheffe

Our Ethiopia Yirgacheffe comes from a single washing station that processes cherries from roughly 400 smallholder farmers, most working plots under two hectares in the highlands south of Lake Awassa.

We've bought from this same washing station for three seasons because the quality is consistent and the relationship means we can pay a fair, above-commodity price directly — no unnecessary layers between the farm and our roaster.

Cherries are pulped, fermented in tanks for 36-48 hours, then washed clean before drying on raised beds. This process produces the clean, bright, floral cup Yirgacheffe is known for — less fruity funk than natural process, more clarity.

We roast this lot to a light City roast specifically to protect the jasmine and citrus notes the washing process brings out. Go any darker and you'd lose exactly what makes this coffee special.

We recommend pour-over for this one above all else — it's where the floral, tea-like qualities come through most clearly. Grab a 12oz bag while it's in season; each year's harvest is a little different.