ETHIOPIA YABITU KOBA NATURAL

Blueberry up front, caramel through the middle, and a bubblegum sweetness that lingers. This is the natural-process side of Koba, a remote kebele in Guji that we have loved for years.

Koba sits deep in Guji's Uraga district, far enough off the road that cherry arrives at the processing center by horse, mule, or donkey. Smallholders farm one to two hectares each, intercropping coffee under false banana trees and maize in fertile sandy loam that needs no fertilizer. Picked December through February, the cherry is sun-dried whole on African beds for 15 to 21 days, which is where all that fruit comes from.

Origin: Ethiopia
Region: Uraga, Guji, Oromia
Producer: Koba community smallholders (1 to 2 hectares each)
Altitude: 2,316 meters
Variety: Ethiopia Landraces
Process: Natural, dried 15 to 21 days on African beds
Tasting notes: Blueberry, caramel, bubblegum
Roast level: Light to medium
Recommended brew: Pour-over or drip

Whole bean or ground, roasted to order in Atlanta. Available in 310 g, 2 lb, and 5 lb.