This coffee is one of the best examples of a classic washed Ethiopia that I’ve tasted in many years. Kochere woreda is renowned for producing exceptionally clean coffees with the distinct Ethiopian profile of citrus, tea, and a notable florality. This particular lot tastes like meyer lemon, pu’erh tea, honeysuckle, and citrus zest.

This quality comes as the result of Kochere’s terroir and the multitude of landrace varieties found growing there. A Landrace variety is one that developed largely in the wild, untouched by human intervention (the original gesha and Sudan Rume seeds collected from wild forests are examples, as would be wild forest coffees). This is distinct from an heirloom variety, which has been intentionally cultivated and kept distinct by farmers and agronomists. 

This coffee was cultivated by 219 farmers living in the Rako kebele (which can be generally thought of as an agricultural community in Kochere). Most farmers cultivate coffee on 1-2 hectares of land, and transport their harvest by foot or motorcycle to the Rako Coffee Washing Station. Rako washing station is spread over 2 hectares of land and annually processes between 450–550 tons of green beans (that’s about 1,000,000 pounds, or more than 20 containers).

Rako washing station takes traceability seriously and accomplishes this through intentional lot separation. Each time coffee cherry is delivered, the name of the supplier, the original location where the cherry was harvested, and the quantity delivered are all recorded and maintained as the coffee moves through processing.

The stunning coffee is a result of meticulously washing, pulping, fermenting, and drying. After processing, the coffee is stored safely to preserve the quality of parchment.

• Producer: 219 farmers of the Rako Kebele
• Region: Yirgacheffe Region, Gedeo Province, Kochere Woreda, Rako Kebele
• Varieties: Ethiopia Landrace
• Processing: Washed (parchment dried) on raised beds
• 2,000 - 2,100 meters above sea level