Origin Spotlight: Yirgacheffe, Ethiopia

Yirgacheffe is often called the birthplace of coffee, and it's easy to taste why. Our Amara Highlands lot comes from smallholder farms sitting between 1,900 and 2,200 meters above sea level in this southern Ethiopian region.

Altitude & Varietal

At this elevation, cherries ripen slowly, concentrating sugars and acidity. The heirloom varietals grown here — largely undocumented landrace types passed down for generations — are what give Yirgacheffe its signature floral, citrus-forward cup.

The Farmers

We work with a cooperative of roughly 40 smallholder families, most farming less than two hectares each. Cherries are hand-picked and delivered to a shared washing station within hours of harvest.

Processing

Fully washed, then dried slowly on raised beds over 10–14 days — turned by hand every few hours to dry evenly and protect the delicate, tea-like body this origin is known for.

“Bergamot, jasmine, and stone fruit aren't tasting-note poetry here — they're just what this soil, at this altitude, actually tastes like.”