There are some countries that I love to source coffee from because we have transparent and visible ways to see that our producers are well taken care of (sustainable farming). There are others, however, that I love flavor/profile their coffee, but the transparency of the product often falls short, which makes me second think the responsibility of buying it in the first place. If coffee is delicious, that’s awesome. But how was it sourced? How many hands has it passed through? Is the coffee producer receiving a price for their coffee? When sourcing from Ethiopia, these questions are often at the forefront of my mind.  

Doing something like “direct trade” in Ethiopia has been daunting for many years. The country put the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (ECX) together to try and remedy the disparity between different farmers (similar grade = similar price, regardless of where it was grown). However, the ECX groups the same categories of coffees together from similar regions, strips away their identity (literally…all bag markings are removed), and puts the coffee into a “black bag,” where you will get the luck of the draw on the buying end. You are fortunate if you can trace a given coffee through to the other side. Seriously, this is how coffee has come out of Ethiopia for years. It gets marked at a grade, pushed together, and then a buyer wins the luck of the draw, not really knowing anything except for the quality or region. While this can lead to some tasty coffees and low prices, …it really doesn’t make me feel good about sourcing.

There have been a few advancements in Ethiopia over the past couple of decades. In 2001, the Ethiopian government allowed grower cooperatives to sell directly to exporters, avoiding having to have their coffee go through the ECX. In the past few years, these regulations have also extended to select large estate farms and to organizations that can secure payment directly to small producers BEFORE coffee is shipped. Both methods, however, require a lot of time, planning, and developing the right relationships (something that Mission is currently working on). In the meantime, we are reliant on aligning ourselves with import partners who share the same vision towards transparency and quality.

Drying beds at Kolla Bolcha. (Photo credit to Red Fox Coffee)

That’s where we’ll start talking about our new coffee, Ethiopia Kolla Bolcha. “Kolla Bolcha” is the name of the washing station where small farm holders deliver their coffee. This washing station serves d as a processing hub for everyone, and often, the quality standards of the station dictate the quality of the finished coffee product. At Kolla Bolcha, that standard is super high due to a partnership with USAID’s Techoserve, who offered both training and investment. The members of the Kolla Bolcha Washing Station jumped at the opportunity to learn and hone their processing skills. And, they received some state-of-the-art equipment (Penagos) pulpers. Similarly, they adopted processing techniques that are reminiscent of high-quality Central American coffee (pulp, soak/wash, dry on raised beds) that yield a fantastic cup quality.

The coffee cherry collection station at Kolla Bolcha. (Photo Credit to Red Fox Coffee).

 This lot from Kolla Bolcha won us over on first taste. It is vibrant and multilayered like many other Ethiopian coffees, but Kolla Bolcha has a bright and stellar character that I’ve only tasted a few times before. This washed lot of Heirloom varieties will be a fruity bouquet of flavors. In the brew, we note hints of bright red currant and floral hops (almost like a lightly hopped sour beer); it will have a complexity of citric, malic, and phosphoric acidity, and finish with a sweet black tea-like finish. If you are into washed Ethiopian coffees, we recommend you check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.