Ethiopia Limu

The Cup:

Notes of sweet and smooth with cocoa and coffee flavors.

The Bean:

In 2007, Cafe Imports head of sourcing and CEO, Jason Long, cupped a coffee from a western region of Ethiopia not very well-known then for high-quality coffee, and it inspired him to venture outside of sourcing in Yirgacheffe, Sidama, and Harrar for the first time. The coffee turned out to be from a single farm, Tega & Tula Specialty Coffee Farm, established in the year 2000 by Ahadu Woubhset. Tega & Tula are actually two adjacent farms, named after the two nearby villages of Tega and Tula, found in the woreda, or district, of Gibo, in Kaffa, Ethiopia. The total farm area is 500 hectares in size, with nearly 400 hectares planted in coffee.

The farm is certified organic and produces both Washed and Natural coffees, and it not only has a wonderful flavor profile but also full traceability down to the producer—and nowadays down to the "block," or subplot. Ahadu is an entrepreneur who was a founding member of the executive team at the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange, who left the ECX and decided to invest in a farm himself in order to produce entirely specialty coffee. He found the perfect spot in the famous Kaffa Zone, which is considered the absolute birthplace of Arabica coffee, and decided to start up an operation that aimed to preserve the natural beauty of the area, support the local community, and of course produce fantastic coffees. Today, Tega & Tula Coffee Farm is an anchor relationship for Cafe Imports, and every year the lots and the traceability get better.

This particular block is called Gera, and is a 12.46-hectare subplot located in the Tega farm. This block is used for evaluating and determining best practices, and for experimentations and trials. It has the coffee plants with the largest seeds, shaded by avocado. It's a favorite area for pigs and monkeys to visit. It was planted and/or renovated in 2000, and has 75227 and 744 varieties. The type known as 75227 was discovered in Gera in 1975 when researchers were looking for naturally Coffee Berry Disease–resistant plants. Its distribution started in 1981, and it grows best between 1,500–2,000 meters. Another CBD-resistant variety, 744 was released in 1979, and has been one of the most commonly distributed cultivars since its release.